Student Teaching
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: Two teachers. A group of students. The school drama club. What happens when 2 friends discover they work together? When their students realize they like each other? Budding romance, surprises, secrets... all while putting on the drama club's production...
1. Chapter 1

**Student Teaching**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: Two teachers. A group of students. The school drama club. What happens when two childhood friends discover that they're working at the same school? And what happens when their students realize they like each other? Budding romance, surprises, and secrets.... all while putting on the school's drama club production...**

The bell announcing first period rang, as students rushed to class- and as one young woman hurried into the school. She rushed to the principal's office, and poked her head in.

"Hello? Hello?"

The secretary, an older woman named Madame Morrible- who had probably worked at the school since it was built back in eighteen-eighty-nine- looked up.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

Slowly, the young woman stepped into the room. Her long, straight raven hair fell down her shoulders in a waterfall effect, and the dark blue skirt she wore just brushed the tops of her boots. Her black blouse hugged her figure, and the jacket she wore was buttoned to the top. A tote bag was over her shoulder, and she shifted nervously.

"Um... I... I'm here to see Mr. Diggs." She muttered, ducking her head in embarrassment. Morrible thought a moment; she didn't remember any green-skinned students enrolled.

"All right. Are you a student-"

"Actually, I'm Elphaba Thropp. I'm here about the new teaching position." She said quickly, pulling a resume out of her bag and going to the desk. The woman looked at her hand, before nodding to the door.

"Go in." The young woman withdrew her hand, and turned to the door, squared her shoulders, and moved toward it, knocking softly.

"Come in." At the sound of the gruff voice, she turned the knob and entered. An older, white-haired gentleman with wire-rim glasses sat behind the desk. Quickly, she slipped inside.

"Um, excuse me? Sir?" He looked up, seeing the green-skinned young woman standing in front of him.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I... I... I'm the... the... My name is Elphaba Thropp. I'm here about the teaching.... position....." He stared at her minute, trying to understand what she'd muttered under her breath, before finally getting it.

"Oh that's right! Ms Thropp! I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Mr. Diggs." They shook hands, before she took a seat. "Now, Ms. Thropp, I understand you're....."

**

Glinda Upland rolled her eyes and tossed her head, her blonde curls falling about her face. She listened to her friends chatter, and absent-mindedly popped her gum.

"Who do you think the new teacher is?" Milla asked. Glinda shrugged.

"Probably some old witch with white hair and hearing aids that likes to-"

The door opened, and a young woman entered, closing the door softly behind her, as every head turned in her direction. She leaned against it, trying to appear invisible, to no avail. After a moment, she straightened, and walked to the front of the classroom, every eye following her every move. She turned to stare at her students, and set her tote bag on the table in front of the whiteboard, before clearing her throat.

"Hello, class." She swallowed the lump in her throat, as she glanced around at the students. "I'm Ms. Thropp." It was a long moment before anyone spoke. When they did, it was a young girl with short red hair in the middle of the room.

"_You're_ the new History _teacher_?" She asked, shocked. Elphaba nodded.

"Yes. And I'm also your homeroom advisor. Now," She took out a roll sheet and pen, and handed it to the student at the far left front of the room. "If you would all please write your names down, and then we can get to know each other." She then perched on the table, watching as they passed the sheet around and signed it.

"How about we get to know you?" The same redhead replied. She thought a moment.

"What do you want to know?"

"Aren't you a little _young _to be teaching a History class? How old are you anyway?" A brunette in the front asked.

"First off, no, I'm not too young, I have a Masters in History. And second, I'm not that young. I'm only twenty-three. I got my Masters last year, not long before graduation. Um.... I went to Emerald University, and graduated Valedictorian, with a Major in History..... I'm of Munchkin descent.... I'm the oldest daughter of the former Munchkinland govenor...." She stopped, suddenly aware of the fact that they were all staring at her like she was a loon. "Yes, well, that's enough about me. Tell me about yourselves."

Dead. Silent.

The only other way to explain it, would be to say that even the world stopped spinning momentarily. She waited a moment, but when no one responded, she hopped off the desk, and retrieved the roll sheet that had finished going around. Setting it on the table, she read through it quickly, before looking up.

"So, shall we--" Before she could get any further, the bell rang, and the students fled from the room. Emotionally exhausted in the short span of an hour, she grabbed her tote, and went to her desk, dropping her tote bag on the desktop and collapsing in the chair, before dropping her head on her arms. She didn't hear the person enter her classroom.

"The first day's always tough. Don't worry, you'll get through it."

"I doubt it." She replied, words muffled. He chuckled softly.

"You'll do fine. They're more scared of you than you are of them." He patted her shoulder, and headed to the door near her desk. "If you need anything, let me know. I'm right down the hall." She nodded. He chuckled again, and left. She stayed that way for several more minutes, before sitting up to the sound of the door opening; slowly, students began shuffling in.

However, Elphaba's eyes weren't on the new students coming into the class.

They were shifting around the room, searching for her mystery advisor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Hedwig466 and Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 1.**

Elphaba's first day teaching passed by in a blur. Safe to say, she went home, climbed under the covers, and conked out.

Her second day was more..... memorable. Mainly because of the students in her homeroom advisory class. On her second day, she sat at her desk, going through role, and getting acquainted with the ins and outs of teaching. As the kids sat chatting or reading, Elphaba wandered around the room, looking through the textbooks and shelves. There were enough History texts for the whole Emerald City. Quickly, she pulled one out, thumbed through it, and put it back, when she realized the whole room had gone silent. Turning slowly, she found her entire class watching her.

"Yes?"

No one spoke. Then, slowly, they all- as a whole- turned back around and resumed what they were doing. Feeling very exposed, Elphaba quickly glanced around, before returning to her desk. She slowly lowered herself into her chair, only to jump out and squeak in surprise, to the shock of the class. Quickly turning around, she saw what she'd sat on- a prickly, potted, pink cactus. She stared at it for several minutes, before turning to the class.

"Who-"

All avoided eye contact. Soon, bell rang, and they jumped up to leave.

"No! I'm supposed to-"

They ignored her, and left. She stood at her desk, mouth open, watching them. It was only when she heard the chuckle that she turned around, but her gaze fell on the pink cactus.

"They always pick on the new teachers. So far, this class is fairly tame, compared to last year's freshman." The owner of the voice was leaning against the doorjam, arms crossed over his chest. She deflated slightly.

"Great."

"Which is funny, considering that they're new as well."

She snorted.

"Must be some screwed up frosh orientation." She muttered under her breath, before looking up to see students enter her class.

"Don't worry, the pranks'll ease up after the first couple of weeks. You'll be fine." She sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I highly doubt-" She replied, turning and raising her head, only to find the mysterious man gone. Slightly shaken, she turned back to her desk, pulled up her chair, and sat down.

This was followed by a jump and squeak of surprise.

**

When lunch rolled around, she slipped out of the building, went to her car, and slipped off to Maguire's Cafe for a bite. After grabbing a sandwich and cup of coffee to go, she returned to the school, and hurried past the cafeteria, avoiding the fact every head turned at her approach and departure. Once she made it to the teacher's lounge, she slipped inside, and quickly looked around, searching for an empty table.

All chatter ceased, and every head turned. She swallowed the nerves and smiled, her breath coming in quick gasps.

"You're the new History teacher, right?" A woman with thick brown hair, Mrs. Kertan, asked, getting up and going to her. Silent, Elphaba nodded. "Hi. Sarima Kertan. Life Sciences." She held out her hand, and Elphaba quickly glanced at it before extending her own.

"E.... Elphaba Thropp. History." She choked out.

"Nice to meet you."

"You too."

"Welcome to Hell High." Sarima said, as she returned to her seat. "And good luck, you're gonna need it."

"Th... thanks." She didn't move, but watched as everyone returned to their conversations. Feeling out of place even with the other teachers, she silently slipped out the door, and high-tailed it back to her classroom, where she promptly crawled under her desk, and dialed a number. It picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ness. It's El."

"Oh hey, El. What's up?" Elphaba shrugged, forgetting that her little sister couldn't see her.

"Not much. Just.... eating lunch. I'm on my lunch break."

"That's great. How are the kids?"

"Okay." Elphaba said, taking a bite of her sandwich. "How are things with you?" Elphaba's younger sister Nessa worked for a law firm- as the lead prosecuter. The two girls were really close, but so different. Elphaba didn't understand any of the terms Nessa used, and Nessa never understood the attraction of teaching.

"Okay. I lost the Joharse case."

"I'm sorry, Ness-"

"And Shell's being shipped to the Vinkus." Elphaba choked on her sandwich.

_"What? Why?"_

"Because Dad can't handle him anymore. He's going to this camp-"

"What kind of camp?" She asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Some sort of camp for juvenile delinquents._ I don't know_. It's like a survival camp. Dad took the judge's advice. So Shell's shipping out tomorrow morning. He's not to happy about it."

Elphaba rolled her eyes. Their younger brother Shell had been trouble from the moment he was concieved. Reporting Shell's weekly- or sometimes daily- violations, court dates, and probation hearings was a family tradition. It didn't make sense to anyone in the family how the first two kids could be completely normal- besides the skin tones and missing limbs- and the third could be so screwed up.

_"What would possess Dad to send Shell to a survival camp? Besides it being the judge's suggestion? Shell won't be able to survive a camp! He could barely survive daycare!" _

Nessa sighed.

"_I don't know_. I _tried_ to talk him out of it, but he won't listen to me. Shell's having a fit and falling in it. I told him it's his own fault, but he won't listen to me. He keeps insisting it isn't." Elphaba rolled her eyes.

_"Of course it's his fault! He was the one that egged the Gillikin Ambassador's car! He has every right to take responsibility!" _Elphaba replied, voice going up several octaves. She quickly lowered her voice.

"Where are you?"

"I told you-- eating lunch. Under my desk."

"Under your des- Oh Fabala." Elphaba could hear the eye roll.

"Shut up Nessa."

"When are you going to let people in?"

"Soon."

"_Soon_? And when is _soon_?" Elphaba took another sip of her coffee.

"When hell freezes over." Her sister snorted.

"All right. And until it does, have fun eating under your desk."

"Thanks. I will. Give Shell my love."

"Will do. Love you sis."

"Love you too. Bye." She clicked off, and relaxed a moment, thinking back on her baby brother's situation. "Oh Shell....." She gathered the scraps of her lunch, and grabbed her cup, and crawled out from under the desk, only to jump at the clearing of a throat and bang her head against the bottom, causing her coffee to slosh over the front of her top. "Ow! Damn!"

"Sorry. Did I scare you? I seem to have that affect on people." She grabbed her head, and turned, to see Mystery Advisor standing on the other side of her desk. Slowly, she grabbed her chair, and climbed to her feet, rubbing her head.

"No no. It's me."

"Do you.... always eat lunch under your desk?" He asked, glancing at the spilled coffee down her blouse. She followed his gaze to the huge stain.

"Yeah. It's..... it's a long story." He nodded.

"I look forward to hearing it sometime." He replied, holding out his hand. She smiled back. "Mr. Tiggular."

"Ms. Thropp. Nice to meet you." He nodded, a gentle smile on his face.

"You too." Just then, the bell rang, as students rushed into the classroom. "Soap and water will take that out. And I'd watch out- your desk can kill you if you're not careful." He said, going to the door. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Thropp."

She nodded, rubbing her head.

"You too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: _And Then There were None _is Agatha Christie's.**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 1 and 2.**

Pretty soon, two weeks had passed. Elphaba had done fairly well, although she still felt out of place. So once she survived the three week mark, Principal Diggs decided to have her call a meeting for the drama club, of which she was advisor. And that was where Elphaba found herself on Thursday afternoon after school, locked in a battle of wills with the principal.

"You can't be serious!" He looked up at her, before returning to the documents he was working on.

"I am."

"But- I... I can't run a drama club!"

"I'm not asking you to run it, I'm asking you to advise it. The students will do what you tell them too." He said.

"You don't get it! _They. Don't. Like. Me_!" She cried, emphasis on the last sentence. He rolled his eyes.

"They don't know you."

"It's been three weeks!"

"And you're a new teacher, they're new students, with the drama club you can get to know some of them better. It'll give you some allies." He took her arm and led her out of the office. "You'll be fine."

"But-" He closed the door, leaving her in the hallway. Letting out a shriek of disgust, she turned and stalked back to her classroom. As soon as she entered, the chatter ceased. Elphaba saw about eight students- nothing remotely close to a full cast for production- but she accepted it and squared her shoulders. "Sorry I'm late." Quickly, she rushed to her chair, and sat down, after a quick inspection revealed no displaced cacti. "Now, I might as well introduce myself. I'm Ms. Lyra... I mean Ms. Thropp." The students all perked up at her slip. "I'm sure most of you know that I'm the new History teacher, and I'm also the advisor of the drama club. Since I've told you my history-" _History? Yeah right. Barely scratches the surface. _"How about you all tell me some of yours, that way we get to know each other. Sound fair?"

The students stayed quiet. Elphaba sighed. They weren't going to give an inch. Finally, she stood.

"All right. Since none of you are willing to talk, how about we go over what drama club is about?"

Silence.

"Okay." She perched on the front of her desk. "So, the drama club puts on plays and musicals-"

"Not musicals. We never have enough people to do musicals, so we do plays." A senior girl said. Elphaba nodded.

"Okay, no musicals. That's a shame, considering that the Jexy award is the highest award given in musical theater. So, we do plays instead?" They nodded. "What kind? Macabre, romantic, mystery.... come on. Give me a few."

The same girl spoke up.

"We did _Town and Country _last spring. It was a comedy. And that fall we did _Rubies flow South_." Elphaba nodded.

"Okay. So mainly comedies and-"

"Rubies was a dramatic mystery." The girl interjected.

"I know. I'm well aware that _Rubies flow South _is a mystery. A romantic mystery, to be exact. It was a play that won for best director in nineteen-forty-seven." She ignored the startled looks they gave her. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and hopped off her desk. "So, if there aren't anymore questions, should we end this meeting?" Slowly the students nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

They left, and she quickly, gathered her things and followed, heading to her car. Maybe she was making progress.

Maybe.

**

On Monday, Elphaba looked up to see Principal Diggs coming into the room.

"Here are the plays you requested." He set a small stack of plays on her desk.

"Thank you." She'd put in the request for plays Friday morning, and he'd sent it off right away. Now, all she had to do was hold auditions and start rehearsals. Oh, and pick a play.

"So, any idea on which one you're going to do?" She shook her head as she leaned back in her chair and flipped through a play.

"No idea. But I'm gonna figure it out." He nodded.

"Well, if you need help, let me know."

"I will." She said, too absorbed in the play to notice that he'd left. She only looked up when her advisory class entered. After taking role, she returned to the plays, until a young girl with curly blonde hair stopped at her desk.

"Um, Ms. Thropp?" Slowly, Elphaba looked up.

"Yes?"

"My.... Math teacher wanted me to give this to you." She whispered, holding out a folded piece of paper. "He... wants to talk to you about me getting a tutor for this period. And since I'm in your class this period, he has to talk to you." Elphaba took the paper, and unfolded it, quickly read the note, and handed it back after she'd folded it up.

"All right-"

"Glinda. Glinda Upland."

"All right, Glinda. I'll talk to him." The girl nodded, and returned to her seat. Once bell rang and they left, Elphaba looked back at the scripts. She'd gone through all of them, picking up the basic plots, climaxes and characters, and had narrowed it down to two....

**

That afternoon, she'd called the drama club together to tell them about the play she'd picked.

"We are going to be doing _And Then There Were None_, by Agatha Christie." She held up the play, waiting for the objections. None came. "It's a murder mystery involving ten people stranded in a house on an island, and a sinister children's rhyme."

One of the boys raised his hand.

"What's the poem?"

"It's called Ten Little Indians." And she read the poem to them. "So, the auditions will be held here Thursday. All right?"

**

The only thing Elphaba remembered about Thursday, was student after student, reading lines, acting scenes, some even throwing fits onstage when they were assigned to read a certain character. So she was so thankful that Friday rolled around. She posted the cast list on the bullentin board, and slipped off to her classroom to relax before school started. All of Friday slid by in a blur, and all she wanted by the time rehearsal ended, was to crawl into bed and sleep.

And when she got home she did just that.


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Rehearsals seemed to be going okay. Elphaba had settled into the school. Although with the play and class, she had put off talking to Glinda's math teacher about a tutor. So when Glinda broached the subject, Elphaba interjected, saying that she would once the rehearsals calmed down. She was anxious; they were going to work in the theater today, so they could get a sense of the stage- especially since most of the cast were freshmen.

So when two-thirty rolled around, and the club gathered in her classroom, she was startled to see Principal Diggs following the kids.

"Mr. Diggs. What are you-"

"I need to show you to the theater." He said, leading the group out of the classroom and school, and down to an old-fashioned building. It was huge, a beautiful old Victorian house. Once they were inside, he handed her the keys. "Welcome to the Ozma theater."

"Thank you."

Once he was gone, they wandered into the theater, the students going to the stage. Elphaba, however, stopped, and stared at the stage, her heart plummeting. After a moment, she moved to the seats, set her tote down, and began rummaging around for her script and a pen. However, she dropped the pen, which rolled to the stage. Quickly, she followed, finally grabbing it and climbing to her feet, as her heart began to pound at being so close to the stage. Hurriedly, she returned to her seat, and began rehearsal.

"Did you notice how Ms. Thropp wouldn't even look at the stage?" Glinda asked. Milla looked at her. The whole club had gotten to be pretty good friends with Ms. Thropp, and all noted her strange behavior.

"Maybe she has stage fright." Milla said. Glinda rolled her eyes.

"Not possible."

**

Pretty soon, a month had passed. Elphaba had settled nicely into her role as teacher, although she had still avoided Glinda's math problem. But there was one other problem she wouldn't be able to avoid.

"All right, let's get started, shall we?"

"Ms. Thropp?" Elphaba looked up at Glinda.

"What is it, Glinda?"

"Why won't you-" Elphaba ignored her, as she got up, and hurried to the stage. Avaric and Boq were onstage, working out a scene.

"I need to see passion, Boq. Lombard is passionate, he's an explorer. He- here." She climbed onstage, and took the script, going quickly over the line before speaking it. Once she was done, she turned to him. "Understand?" He nodded. "Good." She handed the script back, and turned to look at the rest of the cast, only to notice where she was. Caught up in the heat of the moment, she'd forgotten that she was staying clear of the stage, and now, found herself shaking.

"Ms. Thropp?" Shoulders shaking, Elphaba covered her mouth with her hand, and clenched her eyes shut. Boq and Avaric helped her to the edge of the stage, where she took a seat and buried her face in her hands. "Ms. Thropp? What's wrong? Ms... Ms. Lyra?"

Her head snapped up at that.

"I haven't been on a stage in years." She choked out.

"Why not?" Milla asked. Glinda hopped onstage and sat next to her. She couldn't stop herself, the story started to pour out of her, along with the heartbreak.

"I.... I was an actress. Working towards my..... my degree in musical theater.... I had plans. I was... I was going to move to the Emerald City and become a famous actress. I had it all planned out. And then..... I started to fail my auditions, and... I didn't get cast.... and then people started to tell me that I had no talent.... that I needed to find a new career. And I thought they were right. What did I know? So.... I gave it up. Switched majors. Got a teaching degree. Ended up here."

They gathered around her now, lending comfort any way they could.

"Couldn't you-" Avaric started.

"It was the biggest mistake of my life." She cried, dissolving into sobs again. Silent, Glinda rubbed her back. The whole group shared glances, startled by this new information.

**

Once Elphaba had calmed down, they wrapped rehearsal, and returned to the school. As Elphaba was placing the homework she had to grade that night in her bag, a knock sounded on her door.

"Come in."

The door near her desk opened, and Mystery Advisor poked his head in, just as Glinda entered the room.

"Ms. Thropp-"

"Um, Ms. Thropp-"

"We need to talk about a tutor for Glinda-"

"All right, what do you-"

She stopped, midsentence, to see someone she thought she'd never see again standing in her doorway, near her desk. Certain she wouldn't remember his name, she- and Glinda- was shocked when it came flying out of her mouth.

_"Fiyero?!"_


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Wait why did she slip and say Ms. Lyra?**

**Answer: you'll find out..... in the next chapter**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl and Hedwig 466 for reviewing 4, and lizziemagic for reviewing 3 and 4.**

He smiled at her, and suddenly, Elphaba remembered that quirky, loving grin he had worn when they were younger. She felt herself scan him, and instantly blushed in embarassment.

It was Fiyero.

Fiyero Tiggular, Prince of the Vinkus, and playboy extraordinare, had been her best friend, first crush, first and only love. In the flesh. No longer the little boy she'd grown up with, but a man- a beautiful, strong man, with the same sparkling blue eyes and cocky grin he'd worn when he was younger. Yes, that was right. Best friend, first crush, first love, and now... coworker!

Quickly, she shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and she felt his eyes roam over her.

"Wait, _you two know each other_?" Glinda cried, horrified to be caught in the middle of two lovebirds. Both looked away, embarassed. After a moment, Elphaba spoke softly.

"We.... grew up together. We were best friends. We told each other everything. Did everything together."

"I thought you grew up in Munchkinland, Ms. Thropp." Glinda said, confused. Again, Elphaba blushed, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I spent summers in the Vinkus. I'd lived there from the time I was four until I was ten. When we moved back to the Vinkus, I spent summers in the Vinkus with Fiyero." Slowly, she turned to look at him, Glinda suddenly forgotten. "I thought I'd never see you again." He gave her a soft smile, and reached out to take her hand, shaking gently.

"I always knew I would." She looked away, embarassed to feel tears in her eyes. Quickly, she blinked them away, and mustered a smile.

"Um... excuse.... excuse me!" The two turned to look at Glinda, who looked slightly out of place. "I hate to break up this touching reunion, but... I need a tutor. So could I just.... get my tutor, and then leave. And that would give you the rest of the day to make goo-goo eyes at each other." Quickly, they pulled away, and Elphaba nodded.

"Of course Glinda."

**

After Glinda left, Elphaba gathered her things, and headed out of the school towards her car.

"Elphaba! Elphaba, wait!"

She turned, to see Fiyero hurrying to catch up with her.

"What is it, Mr. Tiggular?"

"How are you?" He asked, falling into step beside her. She shrugged.

"Okay, I guess. Why?"

"I just... it's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Eleven years." She whispered, as they entered the teacher parking lot. He nodded.

"Yeah. Eleven years. Look, Fae-"

"Yes Mr. Tiggular?" He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Thropp. I never meant to hurt you. I never stopped thinking about you." She went to her car.

"It's over and done with, Fiyero. The past is dead and buried, let it be." She replied, unlocking her car. He grabbed her arm.

"Elphaba, I never stopped thinking about. I missed you." After a moment, she nodded, and gently pulled away.

"I missed you too." She whispered, closing her door, starting her car, and leaving. He watched her leave, mentally kicking himself for his big mouth....

Ten minutes later, Elphaba closed the door to her apartment, and leaned against it. Her bag dropped to the floor, and slowly, she followed, pulling her knees to her chest. She took a couple shuttering breaths, before burying her face in her knees, and sobbing.

**

The next afternoon, Elphaba slipped into the teachers' lounge, and searched for a place to eat. Seeing none, she slipped back out and turned, only to slam into Fiyero. Once she realized she'd run into him, she jumped, gasping.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Don't do that!" She cried, grabbing the stitch in her chest. He chuckled softly.

"I'm sorry." She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, going back to her classroom. "Let me guess. Gonna hide under your desk again?" She stopped halfway down the hall, and turned to look at him.

"We need to talk." She said, going to him, before turning and continuing to her room. Sighing he followed. Once they were in her classroom, and the door was shut, she set her lunch down and turned on him._ "Sorry! Sorry doesn't cut it, Fiyero! You ignored me! You basically abandoned me! We were best friends! And you just forgot about me... for eleven years! Eleven years, Fiyero! How do you think I felt? I felt like I'd done something wrong!" _

She dissolved into tears, and he reached out to comfort her.

_"Don't. Touch. Me!" _She growled, and slowly, he backed up.

"All right. I won't." Finally, he moved past her, going to the door that led to the back hallway. "I'm sorry Elphaba. I never meant to hurt you." She ignored him, and once he was gone, she went to her desk. Collapsing in her chair, she pulled out her lunch, but had lost her apetite, and pushed it aside. After several minutes, the door opened, and the students in her one o'clock History class entered- well, a few. Glinda included.

"Hi, Ms. Thropp." The kids put their stuff at their desks, and all looked up when they heard Elphaba's soft sobs. Quickly, they hurried to her.

"Ms. Lyra? Are you okay?" Elphaba ignored Glinda's slip, and quickly wiped her eyes.

"I'm fine, Glinda."

"You don't look okay." Boq said, as he grabbed a couple kleenex and handed them to her. Sniffling, she took them, and blew her nose.

"Thank you. And I'm fine. I promise. I'm just.... I just have a migraine and it hurts." She lied, rubbing her temple. Her arguement with Fiyero had caused a migraine, and her head was pounding, but the kids didn't need to know about the arguement.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Milla asked, worried. Elphaba nodded.

"I'm fine. I promise."


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Why is Elphaba so mad at Fiyero?**

**Answer: She thinks he abandoned her... you'll find out the rest in this chapter.**

**Question: Are the students going to do some matchmaking**

**Answer: Maybe**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 5.**

"Glinda? Boq? Milla? Avaric? Could you hold on a moment, I want to talk to you."

The four students shared worried looks, and watched as the rest of their classmates slipped out of their second period Math class on to the next one. Once the door was closed, they turned to Mr. Tiggular, who was gathering the homework and going back to his desk.

"Um... what did you want to talk to us about, Mr. Tiggular?" Milla asked, going back to his desk, as the others followed. He looked up from grading, startled to see them there, as if he'd forgotten that he'd asked them to remain behind so they could talk. After a moment, he remembered and leaned back in his chair. He laced his fingers and thought, before speaking, as the students gathered around his desk.

"You're.... all in Ms. Thropp's advisory, right?" They nodded, silent. "And you're in the drama club, which she's also advising, correct?" Again, four silent nods.

"Mr. Tiggular, what does that- or do we- have to do with Ms. Thropp?" Glinda asked, pushing a blonde curl aside. He turned his sapphire eyes to her, before leaning forward.

"What's she like?" Boq raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Ms. Thropp. What's she like? It's been years since I've seen her, I've forgotten...."

"What do you mean 'it's been years since you've seen her?'" Milla asked. He sighed.

"Ms. Thropp and I grew up together. We were childhood friends. Best friends. She moved away when she was eleven, and I haven't seen- or heard- from her since...." The four listened to his story, and Glinda noted that this one and the one Elphaba had told the day before matched.

"So you... want to get to know here again?" She asked, confused. Her teacher nodded.

"Yes. You... wouldn't happen to know some of her favorite things, would you? Her favorite flower, color..."

"She likes black. Black and green." Milla interjected. Quickly, Fiyero jotted it down. He chuckled softly.

"She always did like black."

"I think she said something last week, when we went out to get lunch before rehearsal, about how she likes her sandwiches with just bread, turkey, provolone, and mayonaisse." Boq said, trying to remember.

"She likes coffee. She always has a cup in the morning during homeroom and one during rehearsal. Chai, I think. Either chai or hot tea." Avaric said. Fiyero nodded.

Glinda wrapped her arms around herself. She didn't like where this was going- at all.

"Why are you so interested in Ms. Lyra?" Fiyero sighed, and set his pen down.

"We were childhood friends. We grew up in the Vinkus together. She.... had to move back to Munchkinland when she was about ten or so, and..... we tried to keep in touch..... but it was just a hassle. I know she thinks I abandoned her, and I don't blame her for being upset. I want to make it up to her. I want to let her know that.... that I didn't abandon her. That I could never abandon her. I love her." The students stayed silent, all storing it for blackmail. "The way a brother loves a sister, of course." He finished. The four nodded, but they all knew that loving Ms. Thropp 'like a sister' was the last thing Mr. Tiggular meant.

Finally, Glinda spoke up.

"I think her favorite flower might be.... poppies.... lilies...." Fiyero thought a moment, remembering when they'd run through the rose garden on a summer day..... He grabbed the pen and looked up at Glinda.

"No. Roses."

**

The next morning, Elphaba entered the classroom, and went to her desk. Just as she set her books and lesson plans down, she stopped, and stared at the center of her desk.

"Hi Ms. Thropp." Elphaba ignored the blonde, who had a habit of coming in early and helping her sort things out before school started. "What are you looking at?" Glinda asked, as the other students slowly filtered into the room. Elphaba didn't move.

_"What. Is. That?" _She asked, dropping her lesson plans onto her desk. Glinda looked over her teacher's shoulder.

"Um.... it looks like a cup of coffee." Glinda said, smiling at her teacher. Slowly, Elphaba turned to look at her.

"I know what it is. I mean what is it doing here?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong, Ms. Thropp?" Elphaba turned, to see Avaric, Boq, and Milla gathered behind Glinda.

"There's a cup of coffee on my desk. It's not mine. Is it yours?" She asked, looking at each in turn. They shook their heads. Slowly, she picked it up, reading the writing on the cup cover.

_Something to keep you warm on cold mornings._

She looked at her students, and then pulled back, smelling the strong, spicy scent of chai.

"Yes, well, that's enough. Sit, all of you." Slowly, the students returned to their seats. But they all watched Elphaba examine the cup, before setting it back on her desk.

**

"She doesn't trust the coffee, Mr. Tiggular." Glinda said, later that afternoon after Math.

"Really? How do you know?"

"Because she dumped it down the sink. I saw her." He sighed.

"Does she like anything else besides coffee?"

"I don't know." He thought a moment.

"If I remember correctly, she liked her bagels a certain way. One half toasted, and the other half not...." He wrote something down quickly, before looking back at Glinda. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow, Glinda."

She nodded and left, joining her friends. Once they'd gotten lunch for rehearsal, she looked at the others.

"Guys, we _have_ to do something."


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: why do people call Elphaba "Ms. Lyra"?**

**Answer: just the students in drama call her Ms. Lyra**

**Question: why does glinda call her Ms. Lyra**

**Answer: you'll find out in this chapter... officially....**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl, musicalsrock,Hedwig466, lizziemagic, and webeta123 for reviewing 6.**

Every morning, Elphaba found a cup of coffee with a note waiting for her on her desk before class. And every morning, she dumped it down the sink. Occasionally, there was a bagel with the coffee. Only the students knew who left the coffee, but they didn't have the heart to tell Ms. Thropp.

"She's a brainiac, isn't she? She's supposed to be smart, you'd think she'd figure out who it's from by now." Milla whispered one morning during adivsory. She looked over at Elphaba, before turning back to her friends.

"Obviously she's not as smart as we thought." Glinda said, as the bell rang and they gathered up their things. "Come on." The four hurried to Elphaba's desk, and waited.

"What do you four want?" She asked, pulling out her lesson plan for first period.

"Have you figured out who's been leaving you the coffee, Ms. Lyra?" Glinda asked. Elphaba looked up at her.

"No. Why?"

The blonde shrugged.

"Just curious."

"Yes, well, you'd better get to class, you'll be late."

The four silently slipped out of the room, Glinda following last. She'd caught sight of something on the desk and grabbed it.

"Guys, meet me at my locker at lunch."

**

When lunch rolled around, the four gathered at Glinda's locker.

"Okay Glin, what's so important?" Boq asked, as she pulled out a piece of paper.

"This." Slowly, she unfolded it, and held it out. Her eyes widened. Instead of it being a grocery list or lesson plan like she'd thought, it was a resume, with a headshot attached.

_Elphaba Lyra_

"Lyra?" Boq took the paper from her, and quickly scanned the resume.

"I think Lyra's her stage name." Quickly, Avaric took the paper and read it.

"She's talented. Really talented."

"Then if she's so talented, what's she doing at Shiz High?" Milla asked. Glinda looked at her.

"You heard her, she gave up. She quit." Glinda said, as she caught sight of said subject out of the corner of her eye. "Quick!" Thinking quickly, Avaric folded it up, and stuffed it in his pocket.

"It's lunch. Aren't you hungry?" The four turned to see Elphaba walk past.

"Yes Ms. Thropp." They replied in unison. Once she was gone, they hurried to the lunchroom. Once they'd gotten lunch and sat down, Avaric pulled the papers out again.

"Elphaba Lyra. Actress, Singer, Dancer, Musician."

"She could do it all." Milla whispered. "A real triple threat."

"She must have been good. It's a shame she gave up." Avaric whispered.

"So that's it. Lyra was her stage name." Glinda said. "I'd wondered why I'd heard that name before. My parents took me to see my cousin in a production at Emerald University when I was about.... twelve. It was.... _When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet_. My cousin Katila was Ophelia, and... there was this girl.... this girl with pretty green skin. She played.... Katherine. In the program, her name was...."

"Elphaba Lyra?" Boq asked. Glinda nodded.

"I'd never forgotten her."

**

"Mr. Tiggular?" Fiyero looked up, to see Glinda at his desk.

"What is it Glinda?"

"You have _got _to do something besides coffee in the morning. She's just going to keep dumping it down the sink."

He sighed.

"Okay. I'll think of something."

**

The next morning, Elphaba entered her classroom, and made it halfway across the room, before she noticed the cup of coffee sitting on the desk. Instantly, her papers and books fell from her hands, and she groaned.

"Something wrong?" She turned, to see Fiyero leaning against the doorjam that led to the back hallway and his classroom. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh no, everything's fine. Except my mystery coffee buyer is back." She muttered, kneeling to gather her papers. Quickly, Fiyero rushed to help. Once they'd gathered everything and set it on the desk, Elphaba picked up the coffee and went to go to the bathroom.

"Wait a minute, where are you going?" Fiyero asked, grabbing her arm. She turned to look at him.

"I'm going to dump it. I'm not drinking something that could very well be drugged or poisoned." He chuckled softly.

"You always did have a habit of sniffing conspiracy theories, didn't you Fae?" She glared at him.

"Well since you don't want me to dump it, how about you take it?" She asked, holding it out to him.

"I already had my coffee this morning." He said, holding up his hands in surrender. "But if you're that paranoid about it, do you want me to try it for you?" She held it out to him.

"Go ahead. If you drop dead or start hallucinating that you're flying, I'll know that it's drugged or poisoned and alert Oscar about the coffee fairy."

"You'd call for help, wouldn't you?" Fiyero asked, looking at the cup and then at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe." He rolled his eyes.

"Give it to me." She handed it over, and watched him take a sip. He shuddered at the taste- now he remembered why he hated Chai so much, it was far too spiced for him. Elphaba waited for him to drop dead, silently hoping that he would. When he didn't she took it back. "See, you can drink it now. It's fine." He whispered, brushing his lips against the shell of her ear. He pressed a soft kiss to the framework of her outer ear, before gently brushing past, running his hands gently along her waist in the process before going to the door. "Enjoy your coffee, Elphaba."

She didn't say anything, just watched him go.

Neither had noticed Glinda, Milla, Avaric, and Boq watching through the door's window, all silently cheering at the interaction between their teachers.

Phase One: Complete.


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: if Elphaba's so talented why did she quit? ****and why did people say she had no talent before?**

**Answer: you'll find out some in the next chapter**

**Thanks to ToThoseWhoGroundMe, mselphabathropp109, kiltedwonder, Hedwig466, Beautifully Tragic Girl, lizziemagic, and Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 7.**

The coffee continued to appear every morning, sometimes accompanied by a bagel, sometimes not, with sweet little notes alongside. She rarely dumped it down the sink anymore, and one morning, the students came in to find Elphaba going through her lesson plan, sipping the cup of coffee that had been left that morning. Exchanging secret smiles, they set to work helping her get ready for the day.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Elphaba slowly began to venture into the teacher's lounge during lunch, but always returned to her classroom. Until the afternoon she decided to slip into an empty seat at one of the tables on a whim.

"Mind if I join you?"

Not long after she sat down, she looked up to see Fiyero standing across from her. She looked around quickly, before shrugging.

"Go ahead."

He pulled the chair out across from her and sat down, and Elphaba turned to her salad and cup of coffee.

"Want half?" Her head snapped up.

"What?" He nodded to the other half of the sandwich on the wrapping in the middle of the table.

"What kind is it?" She asked, looking at it. The question stopped Fiyero mid-bite. He bit down, chewed, swallowed, and said,

"Turkey, provolone, and mayonaise on white. Figured I'd try something new. You want the other half or not?" She eyed it for a moment, before accepting it. Slowly, she bit into it, chewed, and swallowed, before asking,

"Sure."

"If I remember correctly, you only liked roast beef on rye with mayonaise. I take it your tastes have changed since I last saw you." He chuckled.

"Did she take it?" Glinda nodded.

"Look."

"Oh, that's so sweet!"

"Shouldn't you been at lunch?"

"Yes, Mr. Diggs."

Quickly, they scurried away, congratulating each other.

"No, I still like it, I just decided to try something else. Tastes change, Elphaba."

She nodded, and they ate in silence for several minutes before Fiyero asked,

"How did you end up here, Elphaba? I thought you'd-"

Suddenly, the bell rang, and everyone scrambled to get to their classes. As they tossed the scraps from the sandwich in the trash and headed to their classes, Fiyero grabbed Elphaba's hand. She looked up, startled to say the least.

"Fiyero, what-"

"It was nice to see you again, Fae." He whispered, squeezing her hand before he slipped through her classroom, out the back door and down the hall to his class. She watched him go, before going to her desk and grabbing the quizzes she had for that afternoon.

"Afternoon Ms. Thropp."

"Afternoon, Glinda, how are you?"

The blonde shrugged.

"I'm good. You?"

"I'm doing.... just... fine." Elphaba said, counting out number of quizzes for the first row.

"That's good." Once Glinda had settled in her seat, she turned to her teacher, who was now passing out the quizzes. "So, how was lunch? Did you enjoy your sandwich?"

Elphaba stopped passing out quizzes, and met the blonde's eyes. She searched for words, before turning back to her activity.

"It was fine. Thank you for asking. And you?"

"It was good." Glinda replied, taking the tests.

"Good. We need to talk." Elphaba muttered under her breath. Slowly, Glinda nodded. Once the quizzes were handed out, Elphaba returned to the front of the class.

"Now, seeing as this is a quiz, I don't want to find any of you cheating. However, there is one error on this, question ten: The last Vinkun royal family was who and met their demise how? The first half of it is multiple choice, and I don't have the correct answer written. So I'm giving it to you for an extra point. The correct answer for the first half of ten is...."

She waited, hoping someone would answer, and when they didn't she sighed and perched on the table. "Come on, you know this...." Silence. "The last royal family of the Vinkus were the Tiggulars. As for how they met their demise, I know we haven't gotten there yet, but I want you to try to figure it out. Okay? All right. You may begin."

As they started to work on the quiz, she returned to her desk, and began grading the essays they'd handed in at the beginning of class. Over the next several minutes, the students finished and came back to give her the quizzes. Once all quizzes were finished and collected, Elphaba returned to the front of the room.

"I stumped some of you, didn't I?" She asked, referring to the question. They nodded.

"How are we supposed to know how they died? We didn't get that far." ShenShen said.

"I know. I wanted to see how many of you were paying attention." Then, she turned to the whiteboard and began to write.

_The Tiggular Dynasty_

_1218 - 1918_

"Now, does anyone realize anything significant about the dates?"

"They ruled for almost six-hundred years." Crope said.

"Almost. But good guess. Actually, the Tiggulars ruled for seven hundred years. You were a hundred years off, but you were close. Now, can anyone tell me who the last King was? Come on, refresh your memories." She waited by the whiteboard, pen poised to write.

"King Zerqu."

"Exactly. And his wife's name was...?"

"Taqi!"

"Close! Very close! Tarqi actually. Now, what was so unique about this family?"

The class stayed silent.

"They had four daughters and a son." Tibbett said. Elphaba nodded. As she wrote down the information on the board, Glinda asked,

"Ms. Thropp? Is Mr. Tiggular related to the royal family?" She stopped, and quickly turned.

"Yes. He is. His father is a distant relative of the last royal family, and his father does hold the crown."

"Then how can they be the last royal family if Mr. Tiggular's parents are king and queen." Elphaba bit her lip.

"The phrase 'the last royal family' refers that they are the last royal family before the Great War began. When the war began and the house of Tiggular fell, everyone assumed that there would never be another king upon the throne, but some of this family's relatives survived. And those relatives reproduced and that led to Mr. Tiggular's parents holding the throne. So, in evidence and theory, Mr. Tiggular is royalty; he's the Crown Prince."

Glinda raised her hand again.

"So, if you married Mr. Tiggular, would you be the Crown Princess?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: This chapter is for ToThoseWhoGroundMe.**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short. **

**Question: how long is this story going to be?**

**Answer: I'm not sure**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl, Hedwig466, mselphabathropp109, Issa(dot)wicked17, lizziemagic, ToThoseWhoGroundMe, Rosella95, and musicgal3 for reviewing 8. **

Elphaba's mouth dropped open, but she tried hard to hide her shock. It wasn't working well. She tried to think of something to say, but each excuse sounded lamer than the last. After a moment, she cleared her throat, lowered her hand, and capped her pen, before going to the table and perching on top of it. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and licked her lips.

"Well, um... uh... uh... well..." _How the hell am I supposed to answer that? _"It's funny, actually..." The class waited, and she bit her lip nervously. "You see..." _Where the hell did she come up with that idea?_

"Wait a minute, _Mr. Tiggular _is the Crown Prince of the Vinkus?" Milla cried, shocked. Elphaba nodded. Instantly, an excited buzz began among the students, and Elphaba ended up having to whistle to get their attention.

"All right! That's enough! Now that you've all gotten over the shock-"

"Can Mr. Tiggular come over and explain what it's like?" ShenShen asked. The students seemed to readily agree with the suggestion, and Elphaba tried to get them to get a word in edge wise, but was unable to.

"I don't think-"

_"Please? Please?"_

"We really should be getting back-"

"He could tell us what it's like to be the Crown Prince!"

"You and Mr. Tiggular seem to get on really well, Ms. Thropp, I'm sure he'd do it if you asked him!"

The only thing that seemed to interrupt the chatter of the students, was a knock on the back door near Elphaba's desk. Everyone turned, to see Mr. Tiggular poke his head into the classroom. Instantly, a stir began again, until he spoke up.

"Ms. Thropp, I hate to ask this, but could you-"

"Mr. Tiggular, what's it like to be the Crown Prince?" Glinda interrupted, and it was then, that Fiyero saw the notes on the board. He slipped inside.

"I take it you're going over the Vinkun royal family." Elphaba nodded, sighing.

"Would you... tell them a bit about it?" She asked softly, meeting his eyes. He looked around quickly, before nodding.

"Sure. Let me just let my students know what's going on and I'll be right back." He disappeared for a few minutes, before coming back and joining Elphaba at the front of the class. She held her hands out, giving him the stage.

"Take it away." He smiled at her, before turning to her History class.

"All right, what do you want to know?" Instantly, he was bombarded with questions from the eager students. Once he started, Elphaba returned to her desk, and settled in her chair, watching him interact with her class, answering questions and discussing the history of the Vinkun family. She only half listened to the lecture, focusing more on Fiyero's smile and the sound of his voice than the lesson.

She allowed herself to remember when they'd grown up together in the Vinkus; the days of running around in the fields, horseback riding and swimming in the lake. She remembered climbing trees and sliding down banisters, running in the rain and playing hide and seek on a rainy day. It was only when Glinda asked a question that her attention came back to the planet Earth.

"So, if you married Ms. Thropp, that would make her the Crown Princess, wouldn't it?" Quickly, Elphaba sprang out of her chair and hurried to the front of her class. She locked eyes with Fiyero, who chuckled.

"Well, hypothetically speaking, if Ms. Thropp and I did marry, then yes, under law, that _would_ make her the Vinkun Crown Princess. She would inherit not only the title, but also the position, the wealth, and all responsibilites that come along with it. And, hypothetically speaking, if we had an heir, then that child would also inherit the title of Crown Prince or Princess, depending on whether that child was male or female."

Glinda furrowed her brow, before raising her hand again.

"Yes, Glinda?" Elphaba asked, perching on the edge of the table in front of her students.

"So, why don't you?"

"Why don't we what?" Elphaba asked, waiting.

"Why don't you and Mr. Tiggular get married?" She asked, leaning back in her chair. Elphaba swallowed, and looked at Fiyero.

"Um..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to mselphabathropp109 for reviewing 9.**

Later that night, Elphaba slipped into her apartment and locked the door. She dropped her bag on the kitchen table, and made a cup of tea, before collapsing on the sofa. She rubbed her temples, and thought back on Glinda's questions. Where the hell had that girl gotten those wild ideas?

Over the next few days, Elphaba found the usual cup of coffee and bagel waiting for her on her desk, always with a small note. She continued to eat lunch with Fiyero, and the two even walked to class together in the morning. She found herself laughing at his jokes, and he found that he couldn't start his day without seeing her smile. They walked to their cars together- on the rare days when Elphaba didn't have drama club.

So it was one morning, when she came in and found the cup of coffee, the bagel, and a beautiful bouquet of roses- one white, one red, pink, violet, and salmon- along with a note.

_The rose is what makes the thorns beautiful._

She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips, and didn't realiz that she'd been standing there motionless, until a voice interrupted her.

"Ms. Thropp?"

She turned, to see Glinda, Avaric, Milla and Boq gathered just inside the doorway. Silent, she waited for them to speak up.

"What are you... doing?" Milla asked, stepping forward. After a moment, Elphaba showed them the bouquet of roses, and they hurried to her, gathering around to look.

"Oh they're beautiful!"

"All different colors? Why?"

"Who gave them to you?" Glinda asked, silently picking up the note. "'The rose is what makes the thorns beautiful.' Oh Miss Thropp! You've got a secret admirer!" Elphaba blushed.

"I don't think- How does he even know that I like roses?" She asked finally, taking a seat behind her desk. The students gathered around, perching on the tops of desks, or pulling up stools.

"Maybe he checked your file?" Boq suggested. Elphaba wrinkled her nose.

"Or he followed you home." Avaric suggested.

"That's scary." Elphaba told him.

"Not to mention stalkerish." Milla agreed.

"Maybe he just knows you." Glinda said. Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"How could he just know me?"

"Well, maybe he's an _old friend_." The blonde told her, putting emphasis on old friend. Her teacher seemed to consider this a moment, before shaking her head.

"No. Not possible. Even if he was, who would it- No. Not Yero. Yero and I weren't like that. We were more like brother and sister than boyfriend and girlfriend. It's probably one of the other teachers."

"Whatever you say, Ms. Thropp, whatever you say." Glinda said, as bell rang and they rushed to their seats. However, Glinda did manage to share a look with her friends.

_She missed the mark._

When lunch rolled around, the four gathered together and discussed what they knew so far about their teachers.

"She miss the mark, completely missed the mark!" Glinda cried, setting her tray on the table and then taking a seat next to Boq.

"Well she's not exactly bright." Avaric said.

"Is she really that blind to the fact that Mr. Tiggular left her the flowers, and the coffee and bagel for the last few weeks?"

"Maybe she doesn't want to admit that she's in love." Milla suggested. However, her attention was diverted, to the back of the cafeteria, where Ms. Thropp and Mr. Tiggular stood, conversing softly. As they passed by her students, they were able to catch some of the conversation.

"Someone left me this bouquet of flowers."

"Roses?" Mr. Tiggular asked, as she nodded.

"Yeah, how did you-"

"I saw them as I passed by your room earlier this morning between classes. They're very beautiful."

"Yeah, they are. But..."

The two disappeared from the cafeteria, and the four quickly left the table, following their teachers. They hid when they neared the teachers' lounge.

"...would leave me roses, a cup of coffee, and a bagel? And he left this with the roses." She handed him the note.

"'The rose is what makes the thorns beautiful.' Hmm, sounds like someone had a secret admirer."

"That's what my students thought." The voices faded as they entered the teachers' lounge, and the students returned to lunch.

When the final bell let out, the drama club met in Ms. Thropp's classroom for play practice.

"All right, should we head over there?" She gathered her things, and grabbed the keys to her room. "Come on." They left for the theater, and once there, began rehearsal.

"Let's pick it up where we left off. Page 56, start at Lombard's line, 'What's the sense of making yourself defensive?'"

She spent the next four hours going through the whole show non-stop, and finally, finishing with notes at the end before dismissing the club.

"Boq, a bit more adventurous- Lombard has been an adventurer, he's always exploring. Milla, when you're talking to Miss Brent, your afraid of her, yet you're also standing up to her- do you understand?..."

Once they finished, and locked up everything, they went their separate ways, and Elphaba found Fiyero waiting at her car.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, shoulders slumping. He chuckled softly.

"Nice to see you too." He replied, moving away from her car. "I was... wondering if you wanted to go for coffee."

"I'd love to, but I can't. Maybe some other time. Thanks though."


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Why does Elphaba have to be so darn stubborn?**

**Answer: she just is**

**Thanks to ToThoseWhoGroundMe, lizziemagic, and musicgal3 for reviewing 9 and 10, to Issa(dot)wicked17, Hedwig466 and Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 9, and Gogglette for reviewing 10.**

The next morning, after making sure he had the quizzes ready for his first period class, Fiyero silently slipped into Elphaba's classroom, to find her getting ready for the day and going through her lesson plans.

"So," She jumped, and turned to see him leaning against the doorjamb. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay, Yero." She replied, removing her hand from the stitch in her chest. She stood and went to him. "So, what's up?" She asked, hugging him. He shrugged, holding her close.

"Not much. Just... finished going over my lesson plan for the day. You?"

"Going over mine." She said, returning to her seat. He joined her, leaning against her desk and watching her hands fly through the papers.

"Figured out who your mystery admirer is yet?" She snorted and shook her head.

"Nope. Not yet." He watched her take a sip from the cup of coffee, and laughed softly. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just... you haven't been able to figure out _one single thing _about him?" She shook her head. "Well, he obviously knows your favorite coffee, the way you like your bagels, and your favorite flowers, so that's something." Elphaba laughed softly.

"Maybe. But I wish he'd just come out and say it. It'd be so much easier."

"Maybe he likes guessing games." Fiyero suggested, leaning over her shoulder and reading through her lesson plan. She pursed her lips.

"He might, but I don't. I hate guessing games."

Fiyero chuckled, unable to hide his smile.

"I remember." She turned, only to find their lips inches apart. As he leaned down to capture her lips, the door opened and Glinda entered, causing him to spring back. Elphaba blushed red, and Fiyero nervously ran a hand through his hair as Glinda came over to the desk, oblivious to what had just happened between her teachers.

"Hi Ms. Lyra."

"Hello Glinda. How are you?" Glinda shrugged.

"I'm good. Oh, hi, Mr. Tiggular." He nodded, smiling quickly. She glanced from Elphaba to Fiyero and back. "O..kay. Everything all right, Miss. Lyra?" Elphaba choked on the sip of coffee she'd taken and set it down.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Glinda, why?" The blonde shrugged.

"Just curious." The two nodded.

"Well, I'd better get back. I'll see you later, Elphaba." She turned and nodded.

"See you, Fiyero." Once he was gone, Glinda looked up from the book she'd been feigning interest in.

"So..." Elphaba looked up at her.

"So what?" The blonde met her eyes.

"How are things with you and Mr. Tiggular?" Elphaba shrugged.

"Fine."

"That's it? Just fine?" Elphaba nodded. "Has he asked you out yet?" Her teacher started, surprised, before laughing.

"Fiyero? No. We're not... no..."

"Oh come on, Ms. Lyra, it's evident he likes you." Elphaba rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"He doesn't. We were old childhood friends, nothing more. That's all we'll ever be, nothing more, nothing less, Glinda."

The bell rang, and other students began filtering into the class.

However, over the course of the day, Elphaba found herself reflecting on Glinda's words. Could Yero...? No. No! Not possible! Yero was an old friend, a childhood friend, not a lover. He was more like a brother to her than... but could he... No, no _way_. Not Yero. They had grown up together, they looked on each other as siblings, not lovers...

_But we could be._

Quickly, she shook the traitorous thought from her mind. No, they couldn't. It would be impossible. Fiyero had abandoned her, left her to fend for herself, forgotten about her, acted as though she had dropped off the planet, and then eleven years later, he shows up, at the same school she's teaching at, and assumes that they're going to rekindle their old friendship.

No way, no how.

He'd hurt her too badly for them to rekindle their old anything. No matter what he thought. As far as she was concerned, their friendship was on hiatus. And it would be until Fiyero regained her trust.

_If_ he regained her trust.

That night, after drama, she slipped into her apartment, locked the door, and then went into the living room, tossing her purse and coat onto the sofa. Collapsing on the plush leather, she tilted her head back and thought, closing her eyes and propping her feet on the coffee table. Then, after a moment, she hurried to her bedroom, rummaged around, and returned to the living room with a box in her hands. Sitting on the sofa, she opened the box, and pulled out a stack of photographs.

Her eyes scanned each other, and she couldn't fight the smile that came to her face. She didn't know what possessed her, but soon she found herself dialing the number for Fiyero's apartment, holding the phone to her ear, and listening to the ring.

After four rings, he picked up, and she heard his breathless, "Hello?" on the other end. She opened her mouth to speak, her breath catching in her chest. "Who is this?" She tried again to speak, but was unable to. "Hello?" This second hello shocked her back to life, and she pulled the phone from her ear and hit the End button, before tossing the phone onto the table, curling up on the sofa, and burying her face in the pillow.


	12. Chapter 12

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Did they kiss or not?**

**Answer: No, unfortunately, they did not kiss**

**Question: Why does she (Glinda) have to have the worst timing ever?**

**Answer: this is most likely rehtorical, but... she's Glinda**

**Question: why is Elphaba teaching if she was so brilliant at what she did before?**

**Answer: I'm not saying, you'll have to find out soon**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 11.**

Six weeks later, on Monday morning, Elphaba looked up to see Glinda enter the classroom, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"Hi Ms. Lyra."

"Morning Glinda, how are you?"

"Good." They lapsed into silence for several minutes, before Glinda put her stuff on her desk and went to her teacher. "Um, Ms. Lyra?"

"What is it, Glinda?"

"Opening night is... on Friday..." She stopped and blushed when her teacher looked up at her.

"I know. _And_?"

"And? Um... I... I was wondering..." Elphaba waited. "If..."

"If what, Glinda?" The blonde bit her lip before speaking.

"If we were going to have a cast party after?" Elphaba thought a moment, before she nodded.

"I guess we could." The blonde relaxed. "Yes, we could have a cast party. I don't see why not."

"Where?"

"My apartment? Right after the show. It's down on Brooke Avenue. Apartment C. All right?" Glinda nodded, jotting everything down.

"I'll tell the others." Elphaba nodded.

"Okay."

Class went as usual, ending the day with dress and tech rehearsal. For the next two days, the drama club worked on tightening their lines, making their entrances, and gathering their costumes. Fiyero and Elphaba didn't speak, however, she did continue to recieve the coffee and bagels. And on Thursday, she recieved something else. As she and the drama club returned to her classroom after rehearsal, Elphaba stopped and stared at her desk.

"What is it?" Slowly, Elphaba went to her desk, the kids following, where a long, rectangular box sat in green wrapping. A not was attached to it, and after sitting down in her chair, she reached out and removed it, fingers shaking.

_I hear Opening Night is just around the corner, and as the director, you'll need something to catch their attention. So I figured this would be perfect for you. And if I know you, you'll look your best in a little black dress._

The note dropped from her hand, and slowly, she began to unwrap the package, as the students watched with bated breath. When the last of the paper fell and she had removed the lid, her fingers dove into the tissue, and pulled out a stunning, knee-length, black silk dress.

"Oh Ms. Lyra! It's beautiful!"

"I wonder who sent it to you."

"Does it fit? What's your size?"

"It says it's a size zero. How does he know your size?"

"Black silk! Oh it's going to look amazing on you!"

When she was finally able to get a word in edgewise, it startled all of them.

"Don't you think this is a little... stalkerish?" They all stared at her.

"It's sweet!"

"He must really love you!"

"Maybe you'll see him tomorrow night!"

"I'm not wearing this tomorrow. I can't. I don't have anything to wear it with." Elphaba interjected, trying hard to get out of it.

"We can fix that!" Milla cried. Elphaba raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really, Milla? How?"

"Shopping!"

And ignoring her protests, they dragged her from the classroom, heading to the mall. Normally, it would be unethical for a teacher to go shopping with her students, but Elphaba didn't have a choice. No matter how she protested, they wouldn't let her out of it, and dragged her to Cache, a high-end store that sold everything from scarves to jewelry to lingerie. After several moments of "Try this!" or "This would go great with the dress!", they finally decided on a very pretty, very feminine black, white and grey shawl.

"It looks wonderful, Ms. Lyra!" Glinda cried.

"Wait a minute!" And Milla disappeared, only to come back with a set of white bangles and a pair of black and white pearl drop earrings. "You'll look gorgeous!"

"I don't know about this-" Elphaba started, but the kids didn't listen, dragging her to the register and buying the accessories before she could protest. Then, once bought, they dragged her to the shoes. They made her try on flats, wedges, kittens, and pumps, before settling on a pair of pretty, strappy, black peep-toe heels. And once again, they had to make her buy the shoes, against her protests and arguements.

When the kids finally dropped her off at her apartment, she had three bags, and a box under her arm. Pushing the door open and slipping inside, she let the packages drop to the floor, before closing the door and going into the kitchen. After fixing a cup of tea, she returned to the living room, gathered the packages, and went to her room, where she promptly put everything in her closet, stuffing it all on the top shelf, hoping against hope that she wouldn't have to wear any of it. Then, she changed into her pajamas, climbed into bed, and settled down to read, her thoughts wandering to the closet and the shelf, holding the dress, shoes, shawl, bangles, and earrings. With all her might, she tried to think of something other than the dress, something other than her secret admirer, but she couldn't.

Eventually, she lost interest in her book, threw it aside, and burrowed under the covers, her face in the pillow.


	13. Chapter 13

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Are elphie and fiyero going to meet at the party and she's going to find out that he's her secret admirer?**

**Answer: I'm not saying**

**Question: Fiyero's really getting bolder, isn't he?**

**Answer: yeah, he is**

**Question: Is he going to go to the cast party?  
**

**Answer: I'm not saying**

**A/N: The song belongs to Taylor Swift; White Horse**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl, Hedwig466 and Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 12.**

Friday night rolled around quickly, and Elphaba found herself sitting on her bed, in her underwear, staring at the dress hanging in the closet. She swallowed, trying to gather the courage to put it on. She'd spent an hour and a half on the bed, watching the dress, acting as though it'd bite her if she got too close. Checking the time on the clock, she swallowed.

Four- twenty.

She had to be at the theater at five- thirty, and casting call was at six. Licking her lips, she climbed off the bed, and went to the closet, lifting out the dress and holding it against herself. After putting it on, she looked back at herself in the mirror, and sighed. She then gathered her hair and pinned it back, before grabbing the shawl and wrapping it loosely around her shoulders. She slipped into the shoes, put the bangles and earrings in and left, taking one last deep breath before leaving the apartment.

When she got to the theater, she found the drama club waiting for her in the green room.

"Oh Ms. Thropp!"

"You look great!"

"Wow."

"Ms. Lyra, look at you. You're beautiful." Glinda whispered, as her teacher blushed.

"Thank you."

By the time seven rolled around, the show had started, and was going wonderfully. The show went off without a hitch, and when bows came along, the cast pulled Elphaba onstage as well. Safe to say, she recieved a standing ovation.

Afterwards, as she stood backstage with her cast, reminding them that the cast party was going to be at her apartment, someone came backstage to congratulate her.

"Elphaba."

Her head snapped up, and she turned, to see Fiyero.

"Fiyero."

"It was wonderful." He whispered, holding out a single red rose. She accepted it, blushing.

"Thank you." He nodded, unable to take his eyes off her. He moved closer and took her hand.

"You're beautiful." Her head snapped up.

"What?"

He leaned close, his eyes going from her lips to her eyes and back.

"I said you're-"

"Hey Ms. Lyra, are you-" The two turned to see Glinda standing behind them. "Oh, sorry. I... I'll wait in the lobby." And she fled, embarrassed, but looked back, planning on telling the others.

"I'd better get going." Elphaba said, pulling away. "The cast party-" He nodded.

"Right. Well, I'll see you Monday." She nodded.

"See you Monday." As she turned to go, his voice stopped her.

"Break a leg this weekend."

"Thanks."

And he watched her go.

When they got to her apartment, Elphaba slipped the key into the lock, unlocked it, and led her students into the apartment.

"I don't have much, but what I do have, you're welcome too." Elphaba told her students.

"Ms. Thropp, we didn't expect you to have everything. We all brought something too." Milla told her, opening the tote bag she carried. Then, the cast opened what they'd brought, and settled down to eat. Some of them settled on the sofa, some in the chairs, and a few on the floor. After a while, Milla got up to stretch her legs, and noticed the guitar case near the bookcase.

"You play the guitar?" Milla asked, going to the case leaning against the bookcase. Elphaba nodded.

"I have since I was a kid. I love it. It's... the one thing I feel confident about." Just as Milla opened her mouth to ask a question, Boq interjected with his own.

"Ms. Thropp? How did you end up at Shiz High?" Boq asked, as Elphaba took a sip of her soda. The young woman sighed.

"I lived in the Emerald City, went to Emerald University and got a degree in Musical Theater. I... lived in the City and went through audition after audition, trying to make a name for myself, trying to live the way I wanted, but... every director I talked to told me that I wasn't talented enough, that I didn't have any talent, and needed to find another profession. After a while, I started to believe them, and took their advice. Teaching seemed a lot easier than... struggling to survive. At least with teaching, I have a steady job, a steady income. And I've met some wonderful people along the way." The students couldn't hide their smiles. "I heard about a teaching position opening up here at Shiz High and decided to apply for it. I didn't think I'd actually get it. But I did."

After the exceedingly pregnant pause, Glinda said,

"Sing something for us." The blush that came over Elphaba's face made her look like a sprig of mistletoe.

"I don't think-"

"Oh please! Please?"

They coaxed and begged, and finally got her to agree.

"All right. One song. One." She said, setting her soda down. "Milla, could you-" The girl grabbed the case, and handed it to her teacher. After tuning it, she began to strum the strings as the others settled down to listen.

"_Say you're sorry_  
_That face of an angel_  
_Comes out just when you need it to_  
_As I paced back and forth all this time_  
_Cause I honestly believed in you_  
_Holding on_  
_The days drag on_  
_Stupid girl,_  
_I should have known, I should have known_

_I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale_  
_I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet,_  
_Lead her up the stairwell_  
_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town,_  
_I was a dreamer before you went and let me down_  
_Now it's too late for you_  
_And your white horse, to come around"_

Without having to say a word, the students knew that she was talking about Mr. Tiggular, and their relationship. And while they didn't know the specifics, they knew that he had hurt her- enough to break her trust and pit her against romance.

"_Baby I was naive,_  
_Got lost in your eyes_  
_And never really had a chance_  
_My mistake, I didn't know to be in love_  
_You had to fight to have the upper hand_  
_I had so many dreams_  
_About you and me_  
_Happy endings_  
_Now I know_

_I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale_  
_I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet,_  
_Lead her up the stairwell_  
_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town,_  
_I was a dreamer before you went and let me down_  
_Now it's too late for you_  
_And your white horse, to come around_"

The way she acted around Mr. Tiggular, it was evident that she was in love with him, but was too afraid of getting hurt again to say anything. She loved him, they could see it; he loved her, and he was doing all he could to show her, but she was blocking every advance he made, forcing him to take four steps back and start over. He was trying, he was, but she wasn't letting him in.

"_And there you are on your knees,_  
_Begging for forgiveness, begging for me_  
_Just like I always wanted but I'm so sorry_

_Cause I'm not your princess, this ain't a fairytale_  
_I'm gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well_  
_This is a big world, that was a small town_  
_There in my rearview mirror disappearing now_  
_And its too late for you and your white horse_  
_Now its too late for you and your white horse, to catch me now_"

Elphaba had to fight to keep the tears from showing. Her voice got softer, and she tasted the salt on her lips. She had hoped to keep them as far away from the truth as possible. It didn't matter that she had loved Fiyero; they were over in every sense of the word, and she wasn't going to let her past get the best of her, and ruin the life she'd made for herself.

It was a life that didn't include Fiyero.

"_Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa_  
_Try and catch me now_  
_Oh, it's too late_  
_To catch me now_"

When she finished, she noticed them all wiping tears off her cheeks. Silence reigned, and she set the guitar down.

"Wow. That was... beautiful." Glinda whispered. Elphaba gave her a small smile.

"Thank you."

When the party ended, and she bid her students goodnight, she returned to the sofa, and found herself strumming the guitar, as the teardrops fell, hitting the smooth wood.


	14. Chapter 14

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: the teardrops were on her guitar... Was that intentional?**

**Answer: Funny thing is, I didn't realize I'd put that until I went back and read it :)**

**Question: so what did it mean when nobody hired her (Elphaba)?**

**Answer: you'll find out**

**Question: Was it really because she wasn't good enough, or was it just because she was green?**

**Answer: you'll find out. But what do you think? **

**Thanks to Issa(dot)wicked17, Hedwig466, Beautifully Tragic Girl and LittleGreenGirlxx for reviewing 13.**

On Monday morning, Elphaba entered her classroom to find her customary cup of coffee sitting on her desk. Dropping everything on her desk, she picked it up and took a sip, hearing the door open behind her; knowing exactly who it was.

"Morning, Elphaba."

Slowly, she turned, to see Fiyero leaning against the door frame.

"Morning Fiyero." She replied, sitting down. He sighed and went to her.

"Elphaba-"

"What is it?"

"I-" Slowly, he knelt next to her and took her hand, removing the pen she was holding. Lacing their fingers, he waited for her eyes to meet his, and slowly, they turned, locking. His heart pounded in his ears, and he licked his lips, gathering his courage. "I-"

"It took me all night, but I finished! I hope-" Glinda stopped in the doorway, eyes wide. Slowly, she backed out the door, watching through the window.

"What are you doing?" The blonde turned, to see Milla, Avaric, and Boq behind her.

"I think they're about to kiss!" Glinda squealed.

_"Did you walk in on them again?"_

"No! Okay, yes, but I don't think they noticed." Then, she turned back to watch, as the others joined her.

"I-"

"Yero, spit it out." She whispered.

"I love-"

The bell rang. As the hustle and bustle of school started, he moved closer, pulling her to him, so she could hear him.

"I love you, Elphaba. I love you."

She pulled away.

"Yero-"

The door opened, and the students began to filter in, all softly whispering about their teachers. Getting up, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, before leaving.

"Ms. Lyra? Are you okay?"

Elphaba looked up, to see Glinda standing in front of her desk.

"Yes, Glinda, I'm fine." She replied, wiping the tears off her cheeks and getting up. Lunch rolled around before she knew it, and Elphaba found herself fleeing to her classroom.

"Elphaba!" She stopped, and sighed, before continuing on.

"You're going to have to do _a lot _to prove to me that you won't hurt me again, Yero!" She cried, quickening her pace.

"Why, do you think I'll hurt you again?" He asked, catching up and grabbing her arm. She turned to him. Her words bit.

"You hurt me before."

"Back when we were kids? Elphaba, that was _eleven years ago_!"

"And I _still remember_! You abandoned me! You ignored me! You treated me as though I didn't exist!" She wrenched away and continued to her classroom.

"My parents sent me away." She stopped, and slowly turned to him.

"What?"

"My parents sent me to a boarding school, not long after you moved away. They thought it'd be good for me."

Slowly, she went back to him, wanting to believe him, but keeping her guard up.

"Why didn't you-"

"I got your letters. But whenever I'd write one and go to send it, the headmaster offered to send it for me, so I let him."

"I never got them." He sighed.

"I... I know. Because he never sent them. He burned them, and pretended that he'd sent them. I found out when I graduated, what he'd been doing." She nodded, listening.

"So... you didn't..."

"I never meant to hurt you, Elphaba. I didn't know."

She nodded after a moment, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I know, Yero." She whispered, meeting his eyes briefly, before turning and fleeing to her classroom. He sighed and followed. Before class started, he slipped into her class, and went to her.

"Elphaba." She ignored him, working on her lesson plan. After a moment, he kissed her temple, and stood. "I meant it. I never meant to hurt you. I love you."

Once the door closed behind him, she dropped the pen on the desk, and buried her face in her hands.

Since they didn't have drama today, she headed to her car after school, only to find Fiyero leaning against it. She deflated, looking at him.

"What do you want, Yero?" She asked, dropping her keys. He went to her and knelt down, lifting the keys from the snow-covered ground.

"I want to talk. I want you to give me a chance to explain." He said, handing her the keys, the Emerald City Angel keychain dangling over his palm. She took them, moving past and going to her car, when he grabbed her arm. "Elphaba, please. Give me a chance. That's all I'm asking for." She thought a moment, before slowly nodding.

"Fine. One chance." She pulled out of his grasp, and turned to face him. Biting her lip, she thought a moment, before speaking. "The Wilted Rose. Four o'clock."

He relaxed.

"Thank you."

She nodded curtly, and then climbed in her car and left.


	15. Chapter 15

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Should Elphie and Yero get together in the next chapter?**

At four o'clock, Elphaba entered the Wilted Rose and scanned for Fiyero. She found him at a table near the window, reading. Taking a deep breath, she went to him, taking a seat across from him, and dropping her bag on the floor next to her. They locked eyes, and he closed his book, setting it on the table next to his cup of coffee. She ordered a cup and once it arrived, took a sip. They sat in silence for several minutes, before she spoke up.

"So. Explain. Explain it to me, Yero. Explain to me why you forgot about me for eleven years. Because I'd really like to know."

He sighed, and set his cup down before speaking.

"You moved away when we were ten." She nodded. "Mom and Dad sent me to a boarding school not long after you moved, thinking it would help snap me out of my funk. Turns out, my best friend had moved away, that's why I was acting that way. They forwarded your letters to me, and I labored nights over them, and when I went to send them, the headmaster offered to send them for me."

"I never got them." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. He nodded.

"I know." He reached out for her across the table. "When I asked him why you weren't at graduation, he said that you hadn't recieved the invitation, but when I asked my parents, they said that they'd never recieved an invitation for you. It was then that I asked him if you'd recieved any of the letters I'd written, and he said no. Turns out," He sighed. "He was involved in a mail fraud scheme of some sort, and even went so far as to steal money from the school and the patrons. He was using our names- yours too- to get the money." Elphaba listened, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I never meant to ignore you, Fae."

She met his eyes, and slowly, reached out to cover his hand with hers.

"I know, Yero. I know."

They spent the next hour at the cafe, sipping coffee and catching up. When they left, he walked her home, as the snow swirled around them, landing in their hair and turning everything white. With winter break a week away, everyone was enjoying the snow, and the two found their old friendship slowly returning. Halfway through the walk, she slipped her hand in in his and squeeze, catching him off guard. He met her eyes, and smiled softly.

When they finally made it to her apartment, he dropped her off and with a kiss on the cheek and a goodbye, he left.

The next week, Elphaba entered her classroom to find her cup of coffee and bagel waiting for her.

"Not again."

A knock sounded on the door at the back, and Fiyero poked his head in.

"Morning Elphaba. Everything okay?"

"Hey Yero." She said, removing her coat. "Everything's fine. Except he's back."

"Oh, the mystery admirer." He said, leaning against the doorjam. She nodded, and went to the desk, picking up the cup and taking a sip. "Well, enjoy." She rolled her eyes and waved.

"See you, Yero." He started back to his classroom before turning back.

"Elphaba?" She looked up, part of the bagel in her mouth.

"Hmm?"

"Do you... want to go out for lunch?"

"Lunch?" She asked, swallowing. He nodded. Glancing at the clock, she turned back to him. "Where?"

"Wilted Rose?"

Setting the bagel down, she wiped her hands and got up, going to him.

"Will we have time?" She asked, leaning against the doorjam. He thought a moment.

"We should... yeah, I'm sure we will."

The bell rang, interrupting them.

"Okay. Sounds good, Yero."

"Great. See you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

When he was gone, she turned, to find her students taking their seats.

"Morning, Ms. Thropp."

"Morning, class."

When lunch rolled around, Elphaba met Fiyero in the parking lot. They climbed into the car, and headed off to the cafe. Once there, they settled at a table and enjoyed lunch, getting to know each other again. They walked back to the car in the snow, and when they got back to school, their cheeks were red, and everyone noticed.

It began to snow harder, and school was canceled after fourth period, giving the students and staff time to get home before it got worse. All the students rejoiced, since it was Friday, and the beginning of Winter break. When all the students were gone, Elpahba and Fiyero parted ways, heading home.

"Elphaba?" She turned.

"What is it, Yero?"

"Come home with me."

"What?" He rolled his eyes at her surprise.

"Not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter. I just meant that my place is closer. You can stay with me until the snow clears and then I'll get you home." She thought a moment.

"All right. I'll follow you."

When they finally got to Fiyero's condo apartment, the snow had gotten thicker and harder to move through.

"There we go. You okay?" He asked, as they stood under the awning, shaking the snow from their hair.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Once inside, Fiyero turned the lights on, and started a fire in the small fireplace, before going to the kitchen and starting some tea.

"Make yourself at home." He said, as Elphaba set her tote on the closet chair and followed him into the kitchen. Her eyes took in everything, from the furniture to the layout. She only looked back at him when he held out a cup of tea.

"Thanks." He nodded, sipping his tea.

"Welcome."


	16. Chapter 16

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorry, I'm going to stretch it out ONE MORE chapter... but don't worry, they learn a bit more about each other in this one.**

**Thanks to Gogglette, Hedwig466, Issa(dot)wicked17 and musicgal3 for reviewing 15.**

"Is that... _us_?" She asked, looking back at him, when she was able to tear her eyes away from the photograph of two children in Halloween costumes- a little girl in a genie costume, and a little boy dressed as Prince Charming. He nodded, embarrassed.

"Yeah, that's us." She choked on her coffee.

"Oz, we must have been,_ what_? _Four_?" He laughed, setting his cup down on the table.

"No, we were eight." She sighed, shaking her head as he settled back against the sofa. The photo album was heavy on her lap, and she shifted so that she was facing him, putting the album on the sofa between them.

"Eight? Oz, we were young." She whispered, turning another page of the album. Two children stared back at them- playing tag, coloring, baking cookies. "Look at us." She said, pointing to a picture of her and Fiyero sharing an ice cream cone, the sweet, syrupy chocolate ice cream coating their fingers and chins. "It seems like it was light-years ago." He nodded, watching her. She looked up when he took a sip of his coffee, and met his eyes, smiling for a moment. "You never did like jujyfruits." She remarked, looking at a photograph of the two of them throwing candy at each other- Elphaba had a box of jujyfruits in her hand, and Fiyero had a bag of candy corn.

He shook his head.

"I still don't... and if I remember correctly, you hated candy corn."

"I still do." She said, turning another page. "Oh Oz, look at that." She turned the album so he could see the picture she was looking at. It was one of her and Fiyero, curled up on the sofa in his parents' living room, asleep, a blanket over them. He hand his arm around her, and she had a teddy bear in her arms.

"My mom must have taken that." He said, setting his cup down. She didn't say anything, just returned to the album as he got up and went to the kitchen. "I don't think you're going home tonight, Fae."

She set the album on the table and got up, joining him. "Is it still snowing?"

"And it's not going to let up any time soon." He said, pouring another cup. She leaned against the counter, watching him.

"Well, looks like I'll just have to stay here." She said, going to his fridge and pulling it open. She rummaged around for several minutes before pulling out a carton of orange juice and grabbing a glass. He sipped his coffee as she poured the juice and put the carton back. They stood in silence, as the snow pelted the windows, and the fire crackled in the fireplace. After a while, they returned to the sofa, and continued to go through the photographs, remembering games of tag or trick-or-treating. When she got to the last page of the album, she closed it softly, before setting it back on the table.

"You moved away. The pictures stopped... and I went off to boarding school." She nodded, meeting his eyes.

"Yero?"

"Hmm?"

"What was it like?" He sighed a moment.

"Lonely. I missed you. A lot. I made friends, but... I thought about you... constantly." He whispered, reaching out to cup her cheek. She nodded, and got up, going into the kitchen. After rummaging around, she turned to him.

"Yero?" He turned to her. "Red wine?" The look on her face told him all he needed to know.

"All right, open it." Letting out a squeal of excitement, she grabbed a couple wine glasses, and waited as he joined her. After opening the bottle, he poured two glasses, and they clinked them together. They returned to the sofa, setting the bottle on the table. "I hated it there. And, I hate to say it, but... I hated you for moving away."

"I hated you for abandoning me. I thought you'd gotten sick of me, and that that's why you didn't reply to my letters." She admitted, sipping her wine. "I used to dream about you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She nodded.

"You were always... calling to me, and whenever I tried to get close, you'd run until I couldn't catch up, and then you'd vanish. I woke up more than one night crying."

Silent, he reached out and took her hand, squeezing.

"When you didn't come to graduation, I thought... I thought you'd forgotten me. And then... then I found out about what the headmaster had been doing, and I could have kicked myself for being so gullible." He set his wine glass down.

"It wasn't you're fault, Yero. You didn't know." She said, setting her glass next to his and rubbing his back. Then, she rested her cheek against his shoulder and sighed. She laid a hand on his arm, and he covered her hand with his, squeezing gently. After a moment, she pulled away, and turned towards her, kissing her cheek. Gently, he cupped her cheek, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"I'm sorry, Yero."

He met her eyes, taking a deep breath.

"It wasn't your fault, Fae." He whispered. After a moment, he leaned close, wanting so to brush his lips against hers...

She waited, watching him, before closing the gap between them.


	17. Chapter 17

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: You asked for it... I hope you're happy...**

Their lips connected, the taste of desire flooding through their bodies like electric currents. Slowly, she reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, as he deepened the kiss. She moved back on the sofa, until her head rested on the arm, and he pulled away, staring into her eyes, drinking into their depths.

"Fae." His whisper was soft, his vocal chords caressing her name gently, as though he cradled a newborn in his arms. He watched her face, searching for a hint of fear, a hint of flight, and finding none. Satisfied that she wasn't going to flee into the night, he captured her lips again, and kissed her, his hand gently cradling her breast, as she gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer. His hips slid against hers, fitting perfectly, and she moaned softly at the desire slowly flooding through her.

After several moments, he sat up, pulling her into his arms, and holding her close. The wine sat forgotten on the table, and she pulled away, getting up and helping him to his feet. After giving him a kiss that shattered his senses, she took his hand and pulled him to the bedroom. Her feet moved through the house as though they'd walked the halls a thousand times instead of only once. She pushed the door open with her hip and pulled him close, moving back into the room and allowing him to shut the door before working on the buttons on his shirt.

As it fell to the ground, he pulled her close, pressing her body to his, his hand going around her waist and too her bottom, helping her jump into his arms. Slowly, her arms slithered around his neck, latching on as though from a snake, and she connected her lips once against his. He moved them back to the bed, lowering her gently to the bedspread, before joining her, as she moved back to the pillows.

Laying back against the spread and pillows, she ran her hands over his chest, meeting his eyes, before reaching up and kissing him. He worked on her turtleneck, removing it over her head and tossing it to the floor before kissing the skin it exposed. The black lace bra she wore teased and played with him as he kissed the soft swells of her breasts, before moving his hands to her jeans.

"Yero." Her soft moan sent sparks through his blood, and he helped her wiggle out of her jeans before tossing them to the floor as well, and kissing the smooth landslide of her stomach. When they were both out of their jeans, she raised her hips, sliding them against his, and pulling his lips to hers. Their bodies slowly became slick with sweat, as their lips crashed together once again.

"I don't want to lose you, Fae." He whispered, unhooking his bra and removing it from her body. She met his eyes.

"You won't, Yero. I promise you won't. You never did." She replied, pulling his close and burying his face in her chest. He kissed her skin gently, tenderly, before taking her lips again.

"Are you sure we aren't dreaming?" He asked, meeting her eyes. She cupped his cheek, watching his face.

"This is sweeter than any dream, Yero." She replied softly, before once again capturing his lips. Then, slowly, gently, they slid together, becoming one, taking their time. Each kiss, each caress, each tender embrace admitted their feelings for each other, in words they couldn't say, didn't dare say. He pulled her closer, taking her gently, lovingly, making sure each moment was smooth, loving. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her; she'd been hurt too many times, times he didn't even know about, and he didn't want to add to it.

Though neither were entirely innocent, they treated each other as though this was their first; as though they'd never loved before; as though the act of love were reserved for them and only them. It was as though they'd been waiting their entire lives for this moment, as though their childhood friendship had been building up to this moment, and this reunion was as sweet and tender as love itself.

"Oh Fae." His soft whisper sent shivers through her body, igniting a fire she thought had long been extinguished. But every touch, every kiss, caress and gentle cradling caused the fire to roar bigger, burn brighter until it lost control and consumed her. She arched her back as he moved deeper, pulling her closer, claiming her as his. Her nails left ditches in his back, and her soft whimperings soon turned to wild, passion-filled cries of abandoned.

The snow pounded on the roof and windows, but the lovers didn't notice, too wrapped up were they in their wildfire. As the fire in the fireplace slowly burned out, the one in the bedroom ran out of control, igniting them both with a heat that threatened to leave them burned and scarred forever. All the problems of the past fell away, leaving only this moment, this night.

"Oh Yero! Yero!" Her cry sent chills up his spine, igniting passion in his blood and fire in his heart as he claimed her once again as his. Their bodies fit together as though pieces of the puzzle that had long been lost, and as they let the fire consume them, they found their voices mingling in reckless abandon and unadulterated love.

When finally they collapsed among the blankets, slick with sweat and smelling of sex, he captured her lips in a gentle kiss that spoke volumes with words he couldn't say, and didn't dare speak for fear of losing his voice to the gentle smile that met him when he finally relinquished her sweet, soft green lips.


	18. Chapter 18

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: So, did you all like the outcome of 17?**

Her fingers gently traced patterns about on his skin, and he reached up, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. They lay in the afterglow of their love making, resting content in each others' arms, the scent of sex wrapped loosely around their bodies like a blanket. The bedspread lay in a heap on the floor, and the sheets were at the foot of the bed in tangles, leaving their bodies exposed to the chill in the air, however, the chill bothered neither of them, so focused on the other were they.

He ran a hand down her side, tracing the curves he'd discovered over the last several hours. The soft mound of her hip felt like rose petals, and the silk of her hair against his fingers reminded him of the waterfall near Kiamo Ko- the waterfall he and Elphaba used to explore when they were children. She locked eyes with him, staring into those sapphire depths that had long enchanted her as a child. She reached up and ran the ball of her thumb against the apple of his cheek, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Slowly, he leaned down and captured those soft green lips, cositively drinking in her taste. When he gently released her, he licked his lips gently, before leaning down for more, as she tangled her fingers in his hair. She rolled onto her back, pulling him with her, deepening the kiss, her lips nudging his open before her tongue slipped into his mouth. She broke gently, and rubbed her nose against his, a soft smile playing on her lips. He chuckled softly, nudging her nose in response, before returning to her lips.

He ran his hand along her hip, pulling her closer to him, gently digging his nails into her soft flesh. She wrapped an arm around his neck, and ran a hand down his chest, tracing the scar on his chest. She rememebered the scar- mainly because she'd caused it. They'd been playing a game, she'd grabbed a stray piece of barbed wire, and struck him with it, scratching him up pretty badly on the chest. She'd burst into tears and thought she'd killed him when she saw the blood. Fiyero refused to play with her for days after. But it seemed now, fifteen years later, that he was over her attempt to kill him.

Gently, she leaned down and brushed a tender kiss across the scar before pressing her cheek against his chest, hearing his heart. He held her close, running a hand through her hair, and holding her tight against him. He kissed the top of her head, and she reached up, gently tracing the tattoo on his upper arm. She remembered first seeing the tattoo. She'd been eight, and had gotten back from visiting her aunt in Munchkinland.

Running into the yard, she rushed to Fiyero, who had been sitting on the steps, reading. She'd thrown her arms around him, causing them to topple onto the porch, and kissed him. He'd squirmed and finally pulled away from her, hitting his arm in the process. Crying out, he'd pushed his sleeve up, and Elphaba saw the fresh diamond tattoo. After sitting back on her heels, she'd asked about it, and he'd said that it was part of tradition for Vinkun boys to get a diamond tattoo in their eighth summer. When she'd asked him to come to the waterfall with her, he'd acted as though he were too old for childish games. That was the summer when they started to change. Now though, she found herself admiring the tattoo, and the man in her arms.

She sighed, and snuggled closer, pressing her body to his. At ten, he'd poked fun at the changes she was going through- she'd gotten her period that summer, and he'd rolled his eyes, saying that he'd never like a girl that was "bleeding" because there was obviously something wrong with her. She'd retorted that she'd rather like an Elephant than a boy with a rotten attitude. In actuality, Fiyero loved her, but was too afraid to admit it, for fear she'd laugh at him, so he covered up his affection with teasing. When she moved away to Munchkinland that fall, he'd refused to go to the station to see her off, saying that he didn't want to say goodbye to some "stupid girl," even though she was his best friend.

Eleven years had passed since that summer. They'd written for the first year, but soon lost contact; only to meet up at Shiz High and find themselves co-workers. Their classrooms being only a few feet apart, seperated by a short hallway, they soon discovered that the friendship they'd had as children was coming back. And while they had refused to admit it as children, they could now, admit that they loved each other. Their recent actions confirmed what their hearts were saying.

Stuck together in Fiyero's condo apartment, while a snowstorm roared outside, trapping them together, they had not choice but to give in to the feelings that had been buried for so long. Breathing in his scent, she realized that her childishness, that had plagued her for years, was now replaced with a very womanly, very adult passion. He'd manipulated her body more than any other man she'd ever been with, but also been very gentle and loving with her, the way only Yero could be. He'd always been tender with her, and tonight had been no different.

He'd taken great care to be gentle with her, and to make sure her needs were met before his own. He'd brought her to absolute pleasure more than once that night, and proven that he cared for her. In short, he'd proven that he loved her. And she... well, she would never admit it, but...

He pulled away and looked at her, rubbing his thumb against the apple of her cheek before kissing her gently. When he pulled away again, he looked into her eyes, and whispered,

"I love you, Elphaba."


	19. Chapter 19

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

She pulled away, startled. Sitting up, she whispered, "What did you say?"

He sat up and took her hand.

"I said that I love you." She watched him kiss her hand, her fingers, before laying her hand on his chest. Gently, subconsiously, her fingers began to trace the scar on his chest, and she found her eyes wandering to the scar. After a moment, she raised her eyes to his, showing the fear reflected in the dark orbs. He refused to let her break contact, and pulled her close, until she was in his lap, her bare skin pressed against his.

After a moment, he kissed her, and whispered it again. Hearing it and feeling his heart beating, sent bolts of lightning along every nerve she possessed, and she climbed out of his lap, grabbing her clothes and disappearing into the hall. Slowly, he climbed out of bed, pulled on his boxers and jeans, and went after her.

"Elphaba! Elphaba!" She stopped in the hall, his voice causing her pause. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly turned to see him standing in the doorway. Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head. He didn't say anything in his defense; just went to her. He gathered her to his chest, and held her close, until she pushed him away.

"Don't Yero." She begged, pushing against his chest. He grabbed her arms and shook her gently.

"Elphaba don't. Please. Don't fight this."

_"There's nothing to fight!" _She cried, shoving him and turning to go. However, he grabbed her again and pulled her back to him, shaking her again, harder this time.

"I mean it, Elphaba. _Don't. Fight. This. Please._ I'm_ begging you_." His voice thick with tears, he locked eyes with her. "There's something between us, you know there is. There always has been. There always will be. We both know it. And as much as you want to deny it, it's there." She shook her head, closing her eyes, as tears slid down her cheeks.

"No. No, this was wrong. This was a bad idea." She cried, pulling away, covering her ears. He pulled her close.

"Elphaba look at me. Look at me." He forced her eyes open, and she stared into those blue depths that she'd loved since childhood. "We both wanted this, you know it. I know it. We can't deny that it happened, we need to accept it. It's there. It will always be there."

"No."

_"Damn it, Elphaba! I love you! For twenty-one years, I've loved you. I love you, Elphaba. I. Love. You!" _And he captured her lips in his, kissing her fiercely, passionately, violently. She melted into the kiss like butter, as he wrapped her in his arms, pressing her nude body to his. She felt his arms tighten around her, holding her too him, entrapping her. He wasn't going to let her go.

After eleven years, he wasn't going to lose her again.

When he finally broke the kiss, he pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "I love you, Elphaba. Please. Don't give up on us."

She met his eyes, reaching up to cup his cheek. Her eyes spoke volumes on how she was feeling, and he breathed in her scent, holding her close. After a moment, she pulled away, and knelt down, to pick up her clothes. Then, swallowing the fear in her throat, she looked at Fiyero and held out a hand.

"Don't hurt me, Yero. _Please. _Don't hurt me again."

Sighing quickly, he took her hand, and led her back into the bedroom, gently shutting the door behind them. Once the door was closed, he turned to her and took the clothing, laying gently on the floor with the bedspread. Then, he reached out and tilted her head up to him. He stared into her eyes for several minutes, before wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, before laying her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and sniffled, taking a deep breath before breaking down.

Her sobs quickly filled the room, and he gently rocked her, stroking her back and letting her cry.

"Shh. Shh, Fae. Shh. It's okay. It's okay."

He stood in the middle of the bedroom, Elphaba in his arms, comforting her in the only way he could. He reveled in the feel of her in his arms, and planted a kiss on top of her head, as her sobs got harder. Finally, he moved to the bed, and sat down, pulling her onto his lap and holding her. She buried her face in his neck, her arms tight around his neck.

He knew the reason she was upset. Their love making had unlocked feelings she'd hidden for years, igniting a passion she thought she'd long extinguished. But seeing him, being near her childhood love, and now sharing a bed with him and giving herself over to him... everything she'd buried all those years ago came back with a vengeance. It was the fear of losing him again, of being forgotten, of being taken away. Of her heart being shattered once again by the same boy.

But he wasn't a boy. He wasn't the same boy who'd lost his best friend eleven years earlier. He wasn't the same boy who'd ignored her, made fun of her, hated her and loved her. He was a man, a grown man; a man with apetites; with needs and longings. A man with the desire and drive, the gentleness to make love to the woman who had captured his heart as a child. He was a man who saw his childhood friend now as a beautiful woman. A woman who could quench his thirst and fulfill his desire; who could drive him insane and bring him back to sanity.

She was a woman who wore her heart on her sleeve.

It was a heart that had been broken before.

And he vowed to never break it again.


	20. Chapter 20

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to Issa(dot)wicked17 for reviewing 19.**

Once she calmed down, she pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Yero. I just..."

"Shh. I know, Fae. I know." He whispered, cupping her face in his hands. Gently, he kissed her, holding her close, before gently laying her back on the bed. Then, he lay beside her and ran a hand over her waist, pulling her close. "I won't hurt you, Fae. I promise."

"I... I know, Yero. I just..." She didn't finish, and instead moved closer, snuggling into his arms, burying her face in his chest. He held her close, stroking her hair and breathing in her scent. It was a scent that he'd grown up with, that had changed over the years, going from a child's scent, to that of a woman's. He knew her fear, but he also knew that what he felt for her was real. Absolutely real.

"I mean it, Elphaba. I love you. I've always loved you. For years. Even when we were kids, I loved you. I just didn't know how to show it." It took a lot to admit this, and she listened silent, tracing the scar on his chest.

Her whisper was soft, breathless, as though she hadn't spoken at all.

"I love you too, Yero."

A small smile came to his lips, and he kissed her hair, holding her close. When she finally drifted off to sleep, he lay awake, just holding her.

The feel of his childhood sweetheart in his arms was too good to be true. Only she wasn't a child anymore, she was a grown woman; a beautiful woman, a woman who loved deeply, and was afraid to trust for fear that same trust would be shattered. She was beautiful, remarkable. Everything he wanted, and everything he wanted to be.

He could imagine marrying her, fathering her children, spending every night in her arms. He could picture her walking down the aisle towards him; he could picture the doctor showing them a sonagram of the first baby they'd create together, could see her cradling their child in her arms. He could imagine growing old with her, dancing with her at their anniversary, spending tender moments with her and their grandchildren.

He wanted a life with her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, forever. He didn't want to miss one moment with her. He'd lost eleven years with her, and while he could never get them back, he could make up for lost time with her, if she'd just allow it. He wanted it, they deserved it, both of them.

Not long after, he laid her among the pillows and got up, covering her before going into the kitchen. He fixed a cup of tea, and then leaned against the window, watching the snow continue to fall. He sipped his tea in silence, his thoughts racing a thousand miles a minute, and all led back to one common factor: Elphaba.

Closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against the glass, he sighed.

_"Yero!" _

_He chased after her, as she fled to the waterfall. _

_"Yero, put me down!" She screamed, as he lifted her up and carried her to the water. As she screamed and kicked, he walked to the edge of the shore, and promptly dropped her into the water. She came up sputtering and wet, and in retaliation, splashed him with water. _

_"Fae!" _

He opened his eyes, the memory fading away like the sunlight. Sighing, he took another sip and returned to watching the snow. After a moment, her again closed his eyes and relaxed.

_"Yero. Yero!"_

_He turned, to see Elphaba sitting up in a bed, a bundle in her arms. She smiled at him and beckoned him closer. _

_"Come meet your son." _

"Yero?"

His eyes snapped open and he turned, to see Elphaba standing in the kitchen, dressed in his shirt. The dark blue, button-up shirt went to mid-thigh on her, exposing her long, shapely legs and leaving her covered torso little to the imagination. Although it hid her curves, it still gave her a rumpled look, that he loved.

"What is it?"

"I just... woke up and you weren't there." She whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. He took a sip of his tea and set it down, reaching out for her.

"I couldn't sleep." He said, as she joined him.

"Are you okay?" She asked, wrapping her arms around him. He sighed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... keep remember playing in the waterfall with you and... playing House when we were kids." She laughed softly, and met his eyes.

"You remember that?" He nodded.

"You... told me once that you wanted to be a Mommy someday, and when I poked fun, you told me we were having a baby." He said, taking a seat at the table. She sat across from him. "I... I went running to Dad, and told him, and he said that it was my problem, not his. It took me forever to figure out that you were kidding." She lowered her head and looked at her nails. "I... went into my parents' bedroom, and you were sitting up in bed, with a bundle of blankets and and a baby doll in your arms and told me to come meet my son."

"I remember that." He nodded, and reached over to pat her hand.

"Then you told me that we had to raise him like our parents raised us, and love him forever and ever. And... when I told you that we were playing house with a baby doll, you lost it and made me 'sleep on the sofa.'" She laughed, and took the cup of tea he offered.

"I always did take it too seriously." She said, wrapping her hands around the cup. "I always wanted children."

He nodded.

"I never wanted to admit it, but, so did I."


	21. Chapter 21

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Happy Independence Day!**

**A/N: Oh, and Hedwig, the answer to your question is in this chapter.**

**Thanks to Issa(dot)wicked17, LittleGreenGirlxx, and ladybugbear2 for reviewing 20.**

Around two that morning, they returned to the bedroom, climbed under the covers, and lay together, talking softly.

"How did you end up teaching?" She turned to look at him. Laying on her back, she stared at the ceiling, before slowly turning her head to make eye contact. After a moment, she reached up, holding her hand palm up.

"I got a degree in Musical Theater. I wanted to be an actress." A soft smile came to his face, as he ran a finger down her jawline.

"I remember. You liked to put on plays and make me be a part of them." She nodded, licking her lips nervously.

"I... I moved to the City when I was still in college, and... began working the circuit, going from audition to audition, working odd job after odd job. Occasionally, I'd get bit parts or ensemble roles, but never anything major." He listened, wrapping his arm around her waist. "After a while, the rejections got to be too much. No one wanted me. Whenever I asked, the director always said that... I wasn't what they were looking for, or that... he didn't think I was right for the part, or that I didn't have much talent and needed to take more classes." She swallowed. "But... they were lying, all of them. I know they were."

She lowered her eyes, taking a deep breath before meeting his eyes and finishing. "No one hired me because they didn't want an actress with green skin. It didn't matter if I was the most professional, or the perfect fit for the role, or the most talented one out there. What mattered, was that my skin is green, and how would the audience react to a green-skinned actress." She met his eyes. "I tried to ignore it at first, but... soon it got to be too clear to ignore. So I quit. Got a teaching degree. Applied for the position at Shiz High, and... well, you know the rest."

He nodded, taking everything in. After several moments of silence, he reached out and laced his fingers with hers, squeezing gently. She sniffled, feeling the tears on her face, before snuggling into his arms and burying her face in his chest. He held her close, stroking her hair and comforting her the only way he knew how. He bristled at the thought of his Fae being treated so biasly. She'd been treated like a slave; seen as nothing but a disgrace because of the color of her skin.

How someone could treat another human being that was boggled his mind. Fiyero had always seen the good in people, not matter what. And where Elphaba was concerned, all he'd seen had been goodness. She had a heart of gold with a soul to match; it was a heart that loved deeply; a heart he had claimed twenty-one years earlier. He saw her for her, for the kind, carefree person she was, for the loving nature she possessed. With Elphaba, she was nothing but good.

Her soft sobs soon met his ears, and he held her tighter, whispering softly and stroking her hair. It seemed that everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, coupled with the last several months and last eleven years, had finally caught up with her, and was wringing her dry. And all he could do was lay there and comfort her as best he could. It took all he had to not burst into tears with her or hunt down those that had dashed Elphaba's dreams and beat them to a bloody pulp.

When her sobbing finally stopped, she whispered,

"Yero?" He looked down at her, pulling away slightly to meet her eyes.

"What is it, love?" He whispered, the gentle name slipping out. She swallowed.

"You don't blame me, do you?"

He pulled away, moving her from his chest and sitting up.

"_What? How could you think that I'd blame you for something like this_?" She winced at the edge in his voice and backed up. He pulled her back to him.

"I... I thought-"

"Elphaba, I _don't blame you! I don't blame you at all!_ If I blame anyone, it's those _jackasses_ who destroyed your dreams all those years ago." He gathered her to his chest. "Sweetheart, you are the_ last_ person I'd blame." Gently, he cupped her face in his hands, and stroked her cheeks. "Okay?" Slowly, she nodded. He gathered her to his chest again and rocked her gently, before kissing her hair and getting up.

"Yero?"

"I'll be right back, love." He replied, kissing her forehead before going into the kitchen. He was gone for several minutes before coming back into the bedroom with two cups of tea. Handing her one, he settled next to her, and allowed her to curl into his side.

"I... I always thought-" She started, running her finger around the rim of the cup.

"What?" He asked, looking at her. She met his eyes before sipping her tea.

"Never mind."

"No, what is it?" He asked, lowering his cup. She stared into her tea for several minutes before whispering,

"I... I always thought..." She swallowed, slowly turning her eyes towards his. "that you'd be married by now with a couple kids." He chuckled softly.

"I thought so too. But every time I started dating someone, I'd see your face..." Gently, he reached over and lifted her chin. "and realize that... that I needed to wait for you."

"How- how could you possibly-"

He shrugged.

"I don't know. I _honestly_ don't know. But I do know that I had to wait, so that when I did see you again, it would be right. _We_ would be right."


	22. Chapter 22

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Don't worry, the students will show up soon, these next few three/four chapters are going to focus on the rest of the night/morning after the snowstorm.**

**Question: she still hasn't figured out that he's been leaving all that stuff?**

**Answer: Nope, and she won't figure it out for a while...**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, to musicgal3 for reviewing 20 and 21, and to LittleGreenGirlxx, Gogglette and AliceCullenForever101 for reviewing 21.**

She moved closer, taking the cup out of his hand and placing both on the nightstand. Then, she leaned over and captured his lips in hers. The taste of tea lingered on both their lips, and slowly, she reached down and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. She deepened the kiss, pressing her body to his and climbing into his lap. She wrapped an arm around his neck, and nudged his lips open with hers, before slipping her tongue between his lips.

"Elphaba." He breathed her name softly, gently breaking the kiss. She met his eyes and tenderly brushed her fingers over his cheek before capturing his lips again. He pressed his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath and mouthing 'I love you' before kissing her again. She breathed in his scent, pressing her body closer, until only the shirt seperated them. Her hair hung down around her face, framing and hiding it at the same time, and he reached up to tangle his fingers in the silky strands. "I love you."

She didn't say anything, just pressed another kiss to his lips.

When they broke, she nudged his nose with hers, before laying another kiss to his lips. After several similar kisses, she removed her hand from his waist and began unbuttoning the buttons of the shirt slowly, eyes locked with his. As the shirt began to expose the skin between her breasts, but hiding her breasts from view, he pulled her closer, pressing her body to his. She was tantalizing, teasing, playing Tom and Jerry with him, bringing everything to light before hiding it from view. And it was driving him wild.

Resting her hands on his shoulders, she leaned down and kissed him deeply, getting bolder in the circle of his arms and allowing herself to let go and be herself without the cloud of fear that covered her during school. They kissed deeply for several minutes, his arms tightening around her waist and holding her closer before he pulled away and kissed the exposed skin of her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips, and she tilted her head back, allowing him better access to her neck.

Slowly, she moved off his lap and back onto the bed, pulling him with her. Laying together among the sheets, they spent the next several moments kissing and caressing, whispering and teasing each other with kisses. After a while, Fiyero nudged her shoulder, pushing the shirt away and exposing her soft skin. He laid gentle kisses on her skin, whispering 'I love you' every so often, before sitting up and capturing her lips quickly.

She quickly sat up, grabbing his hand as he turned to leave.

"Yero, where are you going?"

He turned back to her, leaning over to tap her nose. "I'll be right back." Then, he planted a kiss on her lips and left. She crossed her legs and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, waiting. After quickly glancing around, she turned her gaze to the window. It was black; she couldn't tell whether it was still snowing or not. "Hungry?" She turned her attention back to him when he joined her on the bed, a packet of oreos and a glass of milk in his hand. She brightened into a smile and quickly sat up on her knees.

"Starving."

He opened the packet and pushed it towards her. She gratefully grabbed one and bit into it.

"Yero?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you," She coughed slightly, covering her mouth before continuing. "remember when we were little and we'd," Her nose twitched, and she sneezed into her sleeve. He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Bless you."

"Thank you." She whispered, tossing her head. "Anyway, do you remember when we were little and we'd get your dad's chess board out and remove all the pieces and then use the oreos as the pieces?" He nodded, dipping the cookie in the milk.

"You always cheated."

Her mouth dropped and she scoffed. "I did not!"

"Yes you did. No matter how hard I tried, whenever I seemed to be beating you, you'd do something to win."

"I did not cheat. It's not my fault you're lousy at chess." She said, nose in the air. Grabbing another cookie, he twisted it apart, and then took the half with the most cream and laid it on her nose with a gentle tap. "Yero!" He chuckled softly as she pulled the cookie off, leaving the majority of the cream on her slender green nose. Laughing softly, he leaned over and kissed it off, before capturing her lips. Soon, the cookies lay forgotten as they got lost in each others' arms.

After sharing several sweet kisses, he cupped her cheek in his hand, looked into her eyes, and whispered,

"I love you, Elphaba. I never stopped loving you. I don't know how to stop. And even if I did, I wouldn't want to."

She sighed and snuggled close, resting her head on his chest.

"But what if you did?" He held her close, stroking her back.

"But I didn't."

"But what if you _did?_"

He sighed gently.

"I'd rather die than stop loving you."


	23. Chapter 23

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to B13Bren for reviewing 21.**

The next morning, Elphaba awoke to find herself alone in the bedroom. Sitting up, she glanced around quickly before climbing out of bed and going into the hall. Everything was fuzzy; this wasn't her hallway. The bedroom was too... male to be hers, and she didn't own the type of shirt that was covering her small body. Making her way into the kitchen, she found Fiyero in the kitchen, making breakfast, clad in only jeans.

A gorgeous guy making breakfast? Sweet deal.

But as she got into the kitchen, everything from the night before came rushing back, and she groaned. Fiyero turned, a soft smile on his face as she took a seat at the table, burying her head in her hands. He set a plate in front of her and a cup of coffee, before taking a seat across from her.

"Sleep well, Fae?"

"Did everything that happened last night actually happen or did I dream it? _Please_ say I dreamed it." He chuckled softly as she sipped her coffee.

"Sorry love, you weren't dreaming."

"You sure?" He nodded.

"Positive." She groaned. "Eat up, love. You're probably starving."

She did as told, and they ate in silence. Once breakfast was finished, Elphaba turned her attention to the window.

"Thank you for breakfast, Yero. And... last night, but I'd better get home." He leaned against the counter sipping his coffee, unperturbed.

"You won't be going anywhere, Fae." She rolled her eyes.

"What, are you going to get possessive now?" She asked. He snorted.

"No. Look out the window." Setting her cup down, she got up, going to the living room window. Pulling back the curtain, her mouth dropped. Snow was level with the eve of the roof, hiding the world from view. It looked like Oz had fallen into a tin of cane sugar.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me." She muttered. He shook his head and joined her.

"No. It's at least six feet. Roads have been closed, at this rate, school's going to be closed for the next month and a half, and it's impossible to get from the front door to the sidewalk without getting lost. We're stuck. At least for now." Slowly, Elphaba looked back at him, mouth open.

"Oh great! Just great! What are we supposed to do while the snow melts?" She cried, throwing her arms up. He cleared his throat quickly. She shook her head slowly. "_N-o. No!_ No way! I won't! I refuse!" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh grow up! I didn't mean that!" He replied, glaring back.

"Well what did you mean then?" She countered. He didn't say. After a moment, she deflated and whispered, "I... I was... kind of... thinking that... too." Then she glanced down at her hands, and began ripping at her nails, a blush creeping over her cheeks. He rolled his eyes.

"It's kind of a given considering what happened last night." She nodded, her hair falling into her eyes.

"So... what now?"

After doing the dishes, they returned to the bedroom, where Fiyero pulled on some clean clothes. Elphaba slipped into her jeans, and borrowed one of Fiyero's shirts, even though it drowned her. Once they were dressed, they pulled on their coats and went to the door.

"What are we doing again?" She asked, as he uncoiled a string and tied it to the outer doorknob. "And what's the importance of the rope?" She asked, pulling her coat tighter around her.

"We're going to see if we can get out of here without freezing to death, and the signifigance of the rope, is so we won't lose our way while we work." He said, tying an end to the handle of the shovel he held.

"Oh. How do we know this is going to work?"

"We don't. But we're going to try." She nodded, and took the shovel he offered. Then, they, like so many others, began shoveling- or attempting to shovel the snow out of the way. It wasn't easy, with six feet of snow around them. More than once, Elphaba lost her balance and ended up on her ass in the snow. Finally she threw down her shovel and stomped to the door, despite all the work they'd gotten done.

"That's it! I quit! I don't want to do this anymore! I'm going back inside!" He turned to look at her.

"You're kidding." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "You get a little chilled and you want to head back inside." She nodded. He rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Go ahead. Wimp."

She turned back to him.

"What did you say?" He turned to look at her.

"Nothing."

"No, you said something. What did you say?"

He sighed. "I just said that I knew you used to give up whenever things weren't going your way when we were kids, but I never thought you'd be the same way as an adult."

Her mouth dropped and she scoffed in annoyance.

"Excuse me? I don't give up when things don't go my way!"

"Really? Then what do you call this?"

"I... I..." Not able to think of anything to say, she grabbed a handful of snow, packed it together, and threw it at him. He jumped and turned, to see her sticking her tongue out at him childishly.

"You did _not just do that_." She raised her eyebrows.

Dropping the shovel, he grabbed a handful of snow, and threw it at her, hitting her lovely features. Tossing her head, snow falling to the ground, she rushed to him, chasing after him, gathering snow and throwing it, missing every time. Several neighbors stopped shoveling to watch the two young teachers chase each other and throw snow, all shaking their heads with smiles on their faces at the sight of "young love."


	24. Chapter 24

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Elphaba said she never got a part, but wasn't she in some Shakespeare show that Glinda saw?**

**Answer: Yes, she was in _When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet_, but that was back in college**

**Thanks to Hedwig466, musicgal3, greenwolf2 and Beautifully Tragic Girl and Gogglette for reviewing 23, and to lizziemagic and mselphabathropp109 for reviewing 22 and 23.**

They ran through the yard, throwing snow at each other and laughing.

"Gotcha!" He pounced, throwing his arms around her waist, causing the two to tumble through a layer of snow. One minute they were there, the next, they were gone. After a moment, Elphaba turned so that she was on her back with Fiyero on top of her.

"Not fair, Yero." She whispered childishly, resting her gloved hands on the back of his neck. She stared into his eyes, seeing the same boy she'd known for years in those blue depths. He watched her face, searching for any reaction, and finding only trusting calm, he leaned down. However, he hesitated, his lips an inch from hers. Glancing quickly at her eyes, he read all he needed to know, before connecting his lips to hers and drinking her in. The kiss deepened, and he pulled her close as her arms tightened around his neck.

They spent the next several moments kissing, focused only on each other, before Fiyero pulled away, and reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair off her face. He stared into her eyes for several moments, before whispering, "I love you, Fae."

She swallowed, and gently pushed him off of her until they were sitting across from each other. She pulled her jacket closer and brushed the snow off, before looking back at him. After a moment, she looked around. "How do we get out of here?" He thought a moment, before slowly climbing to his feet and helping her to hers. It took them several minutes, but finally, they were able to get out and back on "land" which was really just snow that had been shoveled and packed down so that it could be walked on without the person falling through.

Shaking the snow from his hair, Fiyero wrinkled his nose and scowled at her. She stared at him, wide-eyed.

"What?"

"This is your fault! If you hadn't started that snowball fight-"

He didn't get to finish because Elphaba had created another snowball and thrown it at him. She'd hit him hard enough to cause him to topple onto his back in the snow, and then rushed to him, pinning him down and sitting on his chest.

"Elphaba! Get off me!" She shook her head, leaning down and rubbing her nose against his.

"Nope. Sorry Yero, can't." He rolled his eyes. Then, she leaned down and captured his lips in hers, in a deep, passionate kiss. They stayed like that for several minutes, before she broke, meeting his eyes. "I love you, Yero." The statement was so breathless, that he had to catch his breath before rolling them over and pinning her down before capturing her lips. They fought for control of the kiss, before Fiyero pulled away and sat up, pulling her with him. After a moment, he cupped her cheek and kissed her gently before standing and pulling her to her feet.

"Come on." He took her hand and led her back to the apartment, passing the neighbors who stopped to watch the young couple. When they got back to the front door, Fiyero pulled it open and let her enter first before following. Once inside, they removed their coats, and Fiyero went into the kitchen to fix a pot of tea.

"Hey Yero?"

"What is it?" She moved closer to the mantel, now examining the photographs.

"Um... never... mind." She only turned back when he held out a cup of tea. "Thanks." He nodded and settled on the sofa. She sipped her tea and joined him. "Yero, do you... ever wish your life hadn't turned out the way it did?"

He thought a moment before turning to her. "Sometimes, but I don't like to dwell on it."

"Why not?"

"Because everytime I think of it, it never leads me to you." He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. She sighed.

"Really?" He nodded.

"I can't- I can't describe it, Fae, but everytime I thought about what my life would have been like if I'd never become a teacher, you are never in that future. It's like you never existed."

After a while, she got up to look out the window.

"You've got to be kidding me."

"What is it?" He set his cup down and joined her.

"It's snowing!"

Elphaba was right. Fat, thick snowflakes were falling to the already snow-covered ground. Several neighbors scrambled for shelter, while children ran to play in it. She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm never going to get home." She turned from the window back to Fiyero. "I have papers to grade and..."

"And?" She shrugged and kicked at the wood floor, watching her feet.

"And that's it."

"That's it?" She nodded. "You weren't doing anything special for Lurlinemas?" She shook her head, her nose wrinkling.

"I was going to go home and see Dad and Nessa and Shell, but Shell's been shipped off to a reform school-camp in the Vinkus-"

"Karsental's Reform?" Elphaba nodded, looking at him.

"Yeah how did you-"

"Mom and Dad considered sending me there before boarding school." She nodded.

"Oh. And... Nessa and Trism are going to be there."

"What's so bad about that? I thought you liked Nessa. She's your sister."

"I do, it's just... she's pregnant, and I'd really rather not spend the holiday with my sister when she's experiencing mood swings."

"How far along is she?"

"Three months." He nodded.

"Well, if you don't have anyone to spend the holiday with, you're welcome to spend it with me."

She smiled at him. "Thanks, but I don't want to bother you if you're going home for the holiday." Slowly, he went to her.

"I'm not going. I'd rather not have to spend all holiday telling my aunt that I'm not dating, I'm not engaged, and I'm not married." She chuckled softly.

"She asks you that?" He nodded, going into the kitchen as she followed.

"Every time she sees me. 'When are you getting married', 'Who are you dating now', 'When are you going to give your parents grandchildren'... it gets annoying after a while."

She leaned against the counter.

"You wouldn't mind spending the holiday with me?" He met her eyes and went to her, cupping her cheek.

"I'd love it if you would spend the holiday with me."


	25. Chapter 25

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: The Christmas songs aren't mine, obviously**

**A/N: Sorry this one is so short**

**Thanks to lizziemagic, Hedwig466, Issa(dot)wicked17 and musicgal3 for reviewing 24.**

They spent the next several hours decorating the house with decorations that Fiyero had. Once the tree was up, and the lights added, they decorated it, as Lurlinemas music wafted from the radio Elphaba had turned on.

"What do you think?" She asked, once she'd finished hanging a couple more ornaments. He leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss.

"Perfect."

"You didn't even look at it!" She cried.

"I didn't?"

"No." So he glanced at the tree, before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"It's beautiful." She smiled at him, before capturing his lips and deepening the kiss. When he finally pulled away, he whispered, "I'll go fix us something to eat." With one lingering kiss, she let him go, before deciding to follow. Once in the kitchen, she hopped onto the counter, and accepted the half of sandwich he held out to her.

"So," She covered her mouth and swallowed before continuing. "what are we going to do? Go caroling, wrap presents... what?" He thought a moment, taking a sip of tea.

"Well, I think carolling's out." He said, glancing at the window, where the snow was still falling. "And... I didn't go Lurlinemas shopping, so-"

"Good, then I wasn't the only one that didn't shop." He chuckled. "I mean, I sent some back home, but-"

"So did I, but I didn't get any-"

They finished eating in silence, as _It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Lurlinemas _changed to Silver Bells. Fiyero set his cup down, before holding out a hand to Elphaba.

"Care to dance?"

She couldn't hide her smile, and hopped off the counter, and taking his hand. He pulled her into the circle of his arms, and they began a waltz, to the slow, sweet carol. She never took her eyes off him, silently noting the subtle changes she'd avoided noticing the last time she'd seen him, eleven years ago. His eyes sparked light blue when he was excited, and held little flecks of gold that shined whenever he watched her. After a while, she laid her head on his shoulder, and he held her close. When the song ended, they stopped dancing, but continued to hold each other.

When they pulled away, Fiyero went to the door to check on the snow, and Elphaba settled on the sofa.

"Well, is it stopping?"

"Nope. And it doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon." He replied, as she got up and went to him.

"Maybe it'll stop by morning." She whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist. He met her eyes.

"Maybe."

Slowly, her eyes traveled up, to the mistletoe hanging in the doorway. She met his eyes, before he captured her lips in a kiss. He closed the door, and scooped her into his arms, carrying her to the sofa.

"No. The bedroom." She whispered against his lips.

"You sure?" He asked, pulling away. She nodded, pulling him towards the bedroom. Leaving the door open, they moved to the bed, undressing each other as they went, and when they finally reached the bed, she shoved him onto it, before climbing up after him. As she let him kiss her skin, her mind thought back on what had started this whole process.

The teaching position? No.

The coffee? No, couldn't be. She still didn't know who was leaving it.

The dress? No, that was also her admirer.

Then, it hit her.

The mistletoe.

It was the mistletoe.

It _had_ to be the mistletoe.

_Damn that weed._

As they continued to kiss, her mind thought back to her admirer. Suddenly, she sat up, and pushed him away. She had to tell him about her secret admirer.

"Yero?"

"Hmm?" He asked, placing kisses on her neck.

"Yero." He pulled away. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it, Fae?" He asked, kissing her cheek.

She took a deep breath.

"I..." She bit her lip. He waited.

"You what?"

"I... I have a secret admirer."

"I know."

"Okay, that's goo- wait a minute. You know?"

He nodded.

"How do you-"

"The coffee?"

She shook her head, and he sighed.

"You told me about him when you asked me to see if the coffee was poisoned, remember?"

It took her a few minutes, but eventually, she did think back on that afternoon.

"Oh. Right. Of course. I remember now. So... you're not angry?"

He shook his head, and pulled her close.

"No. Why should I be?"

"Well, some random guy is my secret admirer. Wouldn't that bother you?"

He shrugged.

"No. And he's not some random guy. He's a teacher at Shiz High, but he's just too scared to admit it."

"Or he's a student."

He chuckled.

"Maybe."

"But then that would-"

"Elphaba," He grabbed her chin gently.

"What?"

"Just shut up and kiss me."


	26. Chapter 26

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: when are the students coming back to find their teachers together?**

**Answer: Not for another few chapters**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait... and the short chapter. **

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl, ToThoseWhoGroundMe, Hedwig466, musicgal3, Issa(dot)wicked17, and lizziemagic for reviewing 25.**

Two weeks passed.

The snow was slowly melting; so Elphaba stayed with Fiyero. She wouldn't be able to go back to her apartment until the roads were opened again. Several accidents had been caused due to the amount of snow, so people were asked to stay out of vehicles, and walk everywhere, until it was safe enough to drive. And that meant that Elphaba stayed with Fiyero, since she lived fourteen blocks away from Fiyero. And while she could walk back, Fiyero didn't want her walking the fourteen blocks to her apartment, especially at night.

Since they were essentially living together because of the snow, they had fallen into a steady rhythm over the two weeks, she spending afternoons reading as Fiyero graded papers, looking through photo albums, evenings chatting over dinner, and nights laying in bed together. They talked about their classes, their students, and what they'd done before coming to Shiz High. Neither brought up Elphaba's admirer, although Fiyero couldn't help silently laughing at how thick Elphaba seemed to be.

Elphaba awoke one morning to find herself alone in the bedroom. After climbing out of bed and getting dressed, she went into the kitchen, to find Fiyero leaning against the counter, watching the snow.

"Yero?"

He turned, to see her in his shirt, her hair a mess, her eyes sleepy. "Morning." She went to him, stealing a kiss before taking the cup he offered.

"So, what are we doing today?" He sighed.

"Well, it looks like the snow's melting. Want to go for a walk?" She met his eyes.

"Sure."

They finished breakfast, and then pulled their coats on, before leaving the house. She held out her hand, and he took it, kissing her gloved fingers before pulling her along.

They walked down the street, passing parents and children, and as they entered the park, he took her hand, slipping his fingers through hers. She glanced quickly at their gloved hands, before sharing a smile with him. Eventually, they stopped at a vendor and bought a couple cups of hot chocolate before continuing on.

"It's beautiful here." He nodded. Eventually, they stopped at the footbridge and watched the other patrons ice skating on the pond. "I love winter, don't you, Yero?" She turned, to him. "Yero?" It was then that she was hit with a snowball, and when she wiped the snow from her face, she saw Fiyero holding another snowball. "Don't. _Don't you dare_!" He hit her again, and this time, she grabbed a heap of snow and threw it at him.

They spent time in a snowball fight, chasing each other and throwing snowballs.

"Come on, Fae. Let's go get something to eat." Fiyero said, holding out his hand and helping her to her feet.

"Where are we going to eat?"

"Where do you want to eat?"

She thought a moment.

"Wilted Rose?"

"Sounds good."

"Hey Yero-"

"Fae-"

"You go first, Yero."

He turned to her.

"What is it with you and snowball fights?"

"Nothing!"

"It doesn't seem like nothing."

"You're the one that always starts them!"

"I do not! Why in Oz would I start a snowball fight?"

"You never take responsibility for starting them!"

"Hey! Who started this one?"

They continued to bicker as they walked the sidewalk, passing children making snowmen and angels, parents wrapped in coats as they watched their children, teenagers with cups of cocoa, and presents in their hands. Eventually, they made it to the entrance to the park, checked the traffic, and hurried across the street, making it to the other side and fighting the crowds going in the opposite direction.

When they came to a vacant space on the sidewalk, they linked arms, Elphaba leaning into Fiyero as they walked.

Neither noticed Milla as they passed.


	27. Chapter 27

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"What's the worst thing you've ever thought of doing? As a teacher?"

Fiyero took a sip of his coffee and thought, as she bit into her sandwich. They'd settled at a table in the Wilted Rose, as people passed by on the street. Once their orders had arrived, they struck up a conversation that quickly turned to school.

"To be honest, there was this student of mine a few years ago that tried to start a relationship." She choked, grabbing her cup of tea and taking a sip. "Nothing happened, I told Oscar about it, and when she cried wolf, they expelled her. Turns out she was schizophrenic, and our 'relationship' was taking place in her hallucinations."

"You're kidding?" He shook his head. "And they let her go to school unmedicated?"

"Her parents kept denying it. 'Our daughter can't possibly be schizophrenic, she's just exceedingly bright. She deserves a place at Emerald U instead of being in high school.'" He rolled his eyes. "The only place she deserves a spot in, is the psych ward at Shizhurst."

"Shizhurst is abandoned. It was closed in nineteen-eighty-seven."

"I know. And they abused their patients in every way possible. It was disgusting, what they did to those people. No one- _no one_- deserves to be treated like that. Mentally disabled, physically disabled or not, no one deserves to be treated that way."

"But back at the turn of the century, they didn't know how to handle the mentally ill. My great- great- great- great grandmother kept her oldest daughter locked in the attic because she was mentally ill."

Fiyero shook his head, swallowing the bite he'd taken.

"That doesn't excuse abuse."

"She wasn't abused- not that we know of. Although I've been doing some research, and it seems that her father might have sexually abused her."

"It's still not right. Whether it's by a relative or a stranger, it's not right. And as far as that student was concerned, she had no right to be without medication, because she would have hurt someone. She tried to ruin my career, as it was."

"So it was your word against hers."

He nodded.

"And since they looked into her history, they figured-"

"That you were telling the truth."

She shook her head.

"I don't see how you do it."

He chuckled softly.

"You're still new. It'll get easier over time. Like I said, you're a newbie. You'll get used to it. Besides, the students seem to be warming up to you pretty quickly."

She shrugged, as the bell over the door jangled and Milla entered, taking a seat several tables away, never taking her eyes off her teachers. She ordered a cup of coffee, and sat watching them, finding it hard to believe that _Miss Thropp _and _Mr. Tiggular _were sitting _together_. _Having lunch. Talking_. _Together._

"Just the kids in Drama." Elphaba replied. "The others avoid me as much as humanly possible. I think my skin must be some sort of rare disease, and they don't want to catch it."

After a moment, Milla pulled out her cell and snapped a picture of the two, but when she heard what Elphaba said, her head snapped up. "No they don't. They all like you, they're just afraid you won't like them." She whispered, silently hoping Elphaba heard her.

"No, it's not just your drama students. It's the students in your History classes, and homeroom. And even the kids in my Math class seem to like you. They're always asking questions about you."

"More like questions about your relationship to Mr. Tiggular." Milla muttered, sipping her cocoa. Then, she attached the photograph to a text, and sent it out to her friends. "You'll never believe this." She muttered, hitting SEND.

"Everyone's fascinated with you. Especially once they found out you're the Govenor's daughter."

_"You told them?"_ She cried, choking on her tea.

"Willingly." Milla whispered.

"They... might have twisted my arm..."

"Yeah right. You sang like a caged bird." The girl muttered, rolling her eyes at the game her Math teacher was playing with her History teacher.

_"I can't believe you told them!" _Elphaba cried, grabbing the check and pulling out some cash, before getting up and grabbing her purse, as Fiyero stood and pulled on his coat.

"I didn't_ willingly_ tell them. I slipped up one afternoon during class when they were asking questions."

Milla snorted softly, as her teachers went to the door.

"Slipped up my ass. You willingly told us that she's the Govenor's oldest daughter."

_"You still told them!"_

"I don't see what the problem is."

"Maybe I didn't _want_ you to _tell them_."

"I still don't see what the problem is."

"_How can you not see the problem? _The problem is _you told them_!" She cried, pushing the door open. "_I didn't want them to know_!"

Milla didn't get to hear Fiyero's reply, because by then, they'd left the cafe and were walking down the street. She watched them through the window, before turning back to her cellphone, that was ringing with unopened messages. Chuckling softly at the fact that her news could get that quick a reaction, she opened the first message. From Glinda.

To: Milla

From: Glinda

U've got 2 b fucking kidding me! Serious?

That's REALLY Miss Thropp & Mr. Tiggular?

NO FUCKING WAY!


	28. Chapter 28

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorry this is so late, it took longer to write than I thought it would because I wasn't happy with how it originally turned out, so I went back and rewrote it- four times- before editing it, and then editing it took forever... I think this has been my hardest chapter to date to write.**

**A/N: And now what you've all been waiting for, hopefully it was worth the wait... because it wasn't worth the write, or the rewrites...**

**Question: Did they get into an argument because that's terrible then.**

**Answer: It was more bickering than an arguement**

**Thanks to musicgal3, Issa(dot)wicked17 and Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 27 and to Hedwig466, and lizziemagic for reviewing 26 and 27, and to Beautifully Tragic gir for reviewing 17 and 26. This chapter is for Beautifully Tragic Girl, who's given me 100 reviews.**

The week school started up again, brought both students and teachers back with stories of winter break, visiting relatives and getting presents. As the teachers set up class again, they began to fall back into the swing of things, as they went over their lesson plans. Elphaba and Fiyero stayed on their own sides of the teachers' lounge, visiting and chatting and occasionally sending glances towards the other. Neither told the others about their confinement together during winter break, but both blushed whenever they thought of it.

When class was about to start, they all hurried to their respective classrooms, except Fiyero and Elphaba, who both had to talk to Mr. Diggs and were late to class because of it. When they finally made it to Elphaba's classroom, she pulled open the door, to see the students turn towards her. They all watched, eyes going from the middle of the door to their teachers and back.

Someone had hung mistletoe over Elphaba's door back in December, and had forgotten to remove it when they went on break, and now all the students watched and waited for Mr. Tiggular and Ms. Thropp to do something. Slowly, they raised their heads to see the mistletoe, both shocked to see it, before looking at each other. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and he ran a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath.

The students waited with bated breath, all sharing anxious glances and whispered words of 'Are they going to kiss?', 'I can't believe they're actually going to kiss', excitement catching hold and flying through the class like wildfire. The students shared excited glances, whispering and guessing on what they were going to do and how long they were going to lock lips. Milla shared a glance with her friends, as if to say, 'I told you they were together.'

Time seemed to stand still, and Elphaba bit her lip, leaning close. Fiyero took a deep breath, before meeting her in the middle.

Slowly, gently, he captured her lips in his and after a moment, pulled her into his arms.

The kiss was slow, gentle, as Elphaba's arms went around Fiyero's neck. After several moments, the kiss deepened, and he held her against him, as her body molded to his like it had so often in the night during their confinement. Neither thought of the fact that they were at school, in front of their students; neither thought of the possibility of a colleague walking in on them; they only thought of each other, of the taste of the other person, of the feel of their lips together, and their bodies close.

Meanwhile, the students sat in amazed silence, all to surprised to move. Even Fiyero's students had come in to see what was taking so long, and were startled to see their Math teacher making out- in broad daylight, no less- with the History teacher in the room down the hall. They gathered in the doorway, near Elphaba's desk, watching with wide eyes and open mouths, as their teachers proceeded to eat face in front of them.

Glinda glanced at Milla, before turning to Avaric and Boq, and then turning her attention back to Miss Thropp and Mr. Tiggular. Even Milla was surprised.

Bell for class to start rang, but neither Elphaba, nor Fiyero, noticed. His arms tightened around her waist, and he gently lifted her off the ground a couple inches, as he nudged her lips open. When she allowed his tongue to slip into her mouth, he squeezed her waist, as her arms tightened around his neck, her long, slender fingers tangling in his hair. A soft purr sounded in her throat, and she moaned gently, pulling him closer.

Gently, he nibbled on her bottom lip, tasting the tang of her lipgloss, sucking on the soft meat of her lower lip, eliciting a soft moan from her mouth. She gently nipped his lip in return, nudging her nose against his, never breaking the kiss, but deepening the desire they both felt flooding through their veins.

"Yero..."

Her soft whisper ignited his senses, and he kissed her deeper, fuller, holding her flush against him. Neither thought of the example they were setting for their students; or the scandal they could get themselves into, because it was bad for a student and a teacher to get together, and had destroyed more than on career in the history of the Ozian school system, but a teacher and his _colleague_? _Together? And in front of the students?_ Unthinkable. _Especially_ at school. It was fine for teachers to date outside of school, but on campus, they were strictly- _strictly_- colleagues. _Especially_ if the school principal-

_"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" _


	29. Chapter 29

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so late... I had it written...**

**Question: Elphie and Yero are in a bit of a predicament now aren't they?**

**Answer: yeah, they are.**

**Thanks to Beautifully Tragic Girl, lizziemagic, Hedwig466, and LittleGreenGirlxx for reviewing 28.**

They broke apart, to see Mr. Diggs standing in front of them. A mix of shock, surprise, and several other unidentifiable emotions crossed his features. It took him a while but he finally was able to gather his voice.

"Both of you, in my office. NOW."

The broke apart, looked at each other, glanced at their students, and, blushing, followed Mr. Diggs.

"Um, Oscar, what about-"

"I'll make sure Tersan and Fenvu watch your classes while we're talking." He replied, leading them into his office. Once the door was closed behind them, they sat down across from him and waited. He didn't say anything at first, just watched his two colleagues, before speaking.

"Elphaba, I can't believe you would do this. It's fine if you have a relationship, but that relationship can't proceed during school, it's strictly for outside of school..." He regretted what he had to say next. "I'm sorry Elphaba, but I'm going to have to let you go."

She paled, becoming nearly transparent, and quickly, she climbed to her feet.

"But Oscar, I didn't-"

"I'm sorry Elphaba, but-"

"But you can't do that!"

"It wasn't Elphaba's fault, Oscar." The older man turned from Elphaba when Fiyero spoke up. He locked eyes with the younger man, seeing the determination in his eyes.

"Then who's fault was it?" He asked, never breaking eye contact. Fiyero took a deep breath, glancing at Elphaba out of the corner of his eye, and he hated doing this, but he couldn't let Elphaba lose her job.

"It was mine."

Elphaba turned sharply, locking eyes with Fiyero. Her mouth dropped, and her eyes widened in shock. All the air had been drained out of her lungs and she felt her heart stop. He couldn't be serious!

"_What? Fiyero, you can't be serious_-" He shot her a glance, and she shut up, not wanting to, but doing as told- or suggested. Oscar sighed, glancing quickly at Elphaba before returning his attention to Fiyero. He crossed his arms and shook his head.

"I'm surprised, Fiyero, I really am. Starting a romantic relationship with a colleague-"

"_It's not like we're children_-" Elphaba cried, finally able to find enough oxygen to form coherent sentences.

_"No, you aren't! It's like I said earlier, Elphaba, it's fine for you to have a relationship outside school, but to bring that relationship to school is unthinkable! Absolutely unthinkable!" _Oscar replied, turning on Elphaba. She took a deep breath, turning to Fiyero and taking his hand, threading her fingers through his. He shook his head at her, silently telling her not to get involved, that it was over and done with, that he was doing this for _her_.

Oscar watched the exchange silently, before breaking in. "Elphaba, you may go back to class. Fiyero, we need to talk." At first, she didn't move, keeping by his side. "Elphaba-" Swallowing, she nodded, releasing his hand, before slowly leaving the office; shooting a glance at Fiyero- who grinned at her quickly- before the door closed between them. She didn't hurry back to class, instead, she stood in the small lobby, listening at the door, as her shoulders shook gently, and tears began to cloud her vision.

Silent, Morrible went to her, laying a hand on her shoulder, but the young woman jumped, turning to see the older woman at her side. She choked out a gasp, and buried her face in her hands. Gently, Morrible wrapped the younger woman in her arms, holding her close, allowing her to cry. Minutes passed, as the older woman rubbed her back, comforting her, telling her silently that it would be okay.

When Elphaba finally pulled away, Morrible patted her shoulder and watched the young woman leave the office, as she wiped tears off her cheeks. Elphaba walked slowly, as though through quicksand, each step bringing her closer to her classroom, yet causing her to sink further and further the more she moved. Blinded by tears, she passed teachers aides and colleagues, ignoring their questions of worry and offers for help.

No amount of help would fix this situation.

Meanwhile, Fiyero and Elphaba's classes had settled down as school began.

"I told you they were together." Milla said, once the sub took roll. Glinda shared glances with her friends, before sighing. The sight of their teachers had been a shock, to say the least. Not long after, the door opened, and everyone turned, to see Elphaba in the doorway. She moved on shaky legs towards her desk, and once there, turned to Mr. Jerton.

"Th... Thank you, Tersan." She said, and he nodded, patting her shoulder before returning to his own class. The students watched in silence as Elphaba leaned against her desk. After several minutes, she said, "You can go."

Silence.

"Um... but... but Miss Thropp... i... it's homeroom. First period doesn't start until eight-forty." Suti, a brunette said, never taking her eyes off her teacher.

"You can go. You're dismissed."

"But Miss Thropp-"

Finally losing it, Elphaba turned to her students. _"GO!"_

Quickly, they all did as told, gathering up their books and bags and rushing from the classroom. Only Milla and her friends stayed behind. Glancing at the others, Glinda went to their teacher.

"Ms. Lyra?"

Elphaba didn't move, just leaned against the desk, shoulders shaking. After a moment, Milla tried, slowly reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"Miss Thropp?"

Elphaba jumped, turning to them, and they saw the tears swimming in her eyes. "Ms. Thropp, what's wrong?" She sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Is it Mr. Tiggular?" Milla asked, kneeling next to her. Elphaba nodded. After several moments,

_"He... he lost... his job... because of me..." _She choked out, leaning her head back against the desk, as her sobs racked her small body. Milla glanced at the others, before wrapping her arms around Elphaba and holding her close, allowing her teacher to rest her head on her shoulder and cry.


	30. Chapter 30

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: _Glinda Kerse_ by Eminge Mersan = Ozian equivilant of _Jane Eyre _by Charlotte Bronte**

**and _Enchantment Across the Footbridge _by Reva Suti Klasse = Ozian equivilant of _The Secret Garden _by Frances Hodgens Burnett **

**and Merku's _Symphony No. 10 _= Ozian equivilant of Mozart's _Symphony No. 5 _**

**Thanks to lizziemagic, Beautifully Tragic Girl, and Hedwig466 for reviewing 29 and musicgal3 for reviewing 28, who's review I somehow missed.**

"Miss Thropp, what happened?"

After several moments, Elphaba pulled away and wiped her eyes.

"He took the blame... he lost his job... so I could keep mine..." She burst into tears again and buried her face in her hands. Gently, Glinda reached out to rub her back.

"About the kiss?" Glinda asked. Elphaba nodded.

"Y... yes... I never meant to cost anyone their job... I'm sorry..." They looked up when Mr. Jerton entered the classroom. He went to the students, and giving them all a sad smile, helped Elphaba to her feet.

"Come on, Elphaba. Thatta girl." He nodded to his students. "Thank you. I'll make sure your teachers get the notes."

"We... all have the same first period, Mr. Jerton." Avaric said. He nodded.

"All right. Let me take care of Miss Thropp and then I'll write up that note." They nodded, watching as he led her out of the room. Once the door closed behind them, Milla turned to the others.

"It's not fair. Mr. Tiggular can't lose his job because he did nothing wrong." She said, wiping her eyes.

"It doesn't matter whether it was wrong or not, teacher relationships are forbidden inside school." Glinda said, hopping up on the nearest desk and placing her chin in her palm.

Glinda knew from experience.

The daughter of two professors that worked at the University of Shiz, Glinda had seen several budding relationships among her parents' colleagues over the years- and almost all had ended with one or both losing their jobs. Her own sister, who worked at US the first year after getting her doctorate in History, lost her job the same year for starting a relationship during school with a Math professor. Married now, with two small children, she now worked at Emerald University in the City with her husband.

"It's still not fair." Milla said. Glinda sighed and watched her friend, realizing that Milla understood nothing about the inner workings of the public school system. Even four years in, she still held that romanticism only found in great works of the eighteen-hundreds.

A transplant from the City, Milla had grown up immersed in the arts from a young age.

Raised around the great masterpieces of Renva, Destu, and Kertai, she spent rainy days in her father's library, reading the classic works ranging from Eminge Mersan's _Glinda Kerse_ to Reva Suti Klasse's _Enchantment Across the Footbridge _as she listened to Merku's _Symphony No. 10_. The product of a writer and a prima ballerina, Milla grew up dancing ballet and writing novels from an early age. She was as immersed in the arts as Elphaba was, and even at the tender age of fourteen, understood how the arts shaped the world, drowning herself in the history almost as much as the classics themselves.

Milla was a fairly down-to-earth young girl, however every so often, she'd turn up her nose at the "small town-ess" of Shiz. It wasn't uncommon for Glinda and Milla to but heads, especially since Milla had a habit of looking down her button nose at her classmates who, in her opinion, had no understanding or desire to understand the impact of the arts. So it wasn't much of a surprise that Milla and Elphaba had hit it off right away, due to their mutual love of the arts.

And in that retrospect, it was safe to say that Glinda was slightly jealous.

"It doesn't matter whether it's fair or not, they broke the rules, and they have to pay." Glinda replied, her mind working on the list of scenarios that she'd seen so often at US. The good thing was, that no broomcloset or removal of clothes had played a key role; Miss Thropp and Mr. Tiggular's kiss was fairly tame compared to some of the situations teachers got themselves into. But just because it was tame, didn't mean it was right.

Milla rolled her eyes. "You country bumpkins don't know anything about love and romance."

"What?"

Milla met Glinda's eyes. "Nothing."

"No, what did you say?" Glinda asked, raising her head. Milla sighed.

"You don't know anything about romance. Why would you, you're all a bunch of country bumpkins too caught up in huntings and drinking to care about romance or true love."

"What makes you think we don't know about true love?" Glinda demanded.

"Well let me think," Milla began, slamming her books on a close desk._ "_You don't read the classics, you don't listen to the great symphonies, you don't care about the great masterpieces of the world, _so yeah, you're ignorant country bumpkins, because if you did do any of those things, you'd realize that true love plays a part in all of those!"_ Milla snapped.

"Wait a minute, what... classics are we talking about?" Boq asked.

Milla rolled her eyes and slowly turned to look at Boq. "_Klasse, Sura, the Mersan Sisters, Merku, Tuq, Solw, Destu, Kertai- those masterpieces! The music and books and paintings that Miss Thropp has shown us the last semester! Are you really stupid enough to not pay attention during class?"_

Quickly, Glinda climbed off the desk, marched over to Milla, and slapped her hard. After several minutes, Milla responded, slapping her back, before the two girls began pulling hair and hitting. The boys were able to seperate the girls, and everything stilled when Mr. Jerton returned. He quickly wrote them a note, and made sure they were headed to class before returning to his own class.

Once the four slipped into their seats, Avaric whispered,

"During lunch, we'll stop by the teacher's lounge and see Miss Thropp."


	31. Chapter 31

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to LittleGreenGirlxx and Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 30.**

"Do we knock?"

"It's a teacher's lounge, Milla, not a secret club!"

"I don't know that! I'm a ballerina, not a professor!"

Glinda rolled her eyes. "And I'm an Elephant."

"Would you two shut up!" Boq snapped. Taking a deep breath, Glinda opened the door, poking her head in, scanning the lounge. Slowly, the others followed. Finally, they spotted Elphaba curled up on a sofa in the corner. After a moment, they slipped inside, shutting the door behind them before making their way towards their teacher. She was sitting on the far right, head propped on her fist, a kleenex held against her nose. Her eyes were read, and tears had dried on her cheeks.

"Miss Thropp?"

Slowly, Elphaba's dark brown eyes raised to stare at her students, and she sighed. Swallowing, she whispered, "I just ruined his life... he'll never forgive me..." Her voice was hoarse, raw, and she gasped for breath, as though uttering those two sentences took all the strength she had.

"He'll forgive you, Miss Thropp. He loves you." Milla said, the hopeless romantic in her coming out. Elphaba didn't seem to hear her.

"I never forgave him... and now he'll never forgive me..." She buried her face in her arm and sobbed. Milla sighed, and turned to her friends. Before she could open her mouth, the door opened and Mrs. Kertan entered, going to Elphaba's side.

"Here Elphaba, it's tea and honey, it should help." She said, handing her colleague a steaming cup of tea.

"A... Actually, Mrs. Kertan, tea and... and mint and honey is better for a soar throat, seeing as the... the honey coats the esophagus and the mint numbs the... the pain..." Milla broke off instantly, when Sarima looked up at her. Slowly, she looked around, seeing the others watching her. "What? I... I like tea and coffee... I don't tell you what to drink!" She said finally, crossing her arms.

"Thank you, Milla." Mrs. Kertan said, before returning to Elphaba. After several moments, "Go get lunch you four."

"Will she..."

"I'll watch her. Go get lunch." They nodded, leaving. Once the door closed behind them, Milla turned to her friends.

"I've never seen her so upset." The others nodded in agreement. After a while, though, Glinda asked,

"Tea and honey and mint?"

"I don't tell you how to drink your coffee." Milla replied, turning and going to her locker as the others followed.

"She looked physically ill." Boq said.

"Of course she looked physically ill, she's green." Avaric said, pointing out the obvious. Slowly, the other three looked at him.

"I don't mean that, I mean she looked sick. Just looking into her eyes- she looked like she was burning up."

"You mean like she had a fever?" Glinda asked. Boq nodded.

"It's not uncommon for an increased heart rate and a speedy pulse to bring on flu-like symptoms." He replied.

The oldest child of a doctor and a baker, Boq often thought in medical terms. He'd been raised around the hospital; he'd read medical journals before any other book, and understood the inner workings of hospitals better than most doctors and nurses did. Often times, his friends didn't understand a word he said, so translations were usually required. It was something he was used to doing, even his poor mother didn't understand half of what he and his father discussed.

Milla looked at him.

"In English, please?"

He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Stress can make a person feel ill."

"Oh. Okay." Then, she slammed her locker shut, and the four headed to the cafeteria. Once they got lunch and sat down to eat, Avaric said,

"She blames herself. She shouldn't. It wasn't her fault. It wasn't their fault- either of them."

"Exactly what I said." Milla replied. Glinda rolled her eyes.

"Don't start." Avaric warned, noticing how Glinda reacted to Milla.

Avaric was the middle child of four, the oldest son of a prosecutor and a defense attorney, Avaric always tried to see both sides of the story before coming to a conclusion. Seeing as his mother was always trying to defend and his father prosecute, he learned the ins and outs of law as a child and tried to apply that to his friends as well. It didn't always work well. Even now, he didn't want to have to play defense attorney and so decided to end it before it began. Sometimes being the son of two lawyers paid off.

They settled down to lunch, falling into silence, until bell rang for next period. As they slipped off to their respected classes, they all promised to stop by Mr. Diggs's office to try to talk him into letting Mr. Tiggular keep his job. As soon as they had their chance, they slipped into Mr. Diggs's office.

"Mr. Diggs?" He looked up to see Miss Thropp's students standing in front of his desk.

"Ah... Milla, Avaric." Then, he noticed Boq and Glinda in the doorway. "Hello Boq, Glinda. What brings you here?"

"We... we want to talk to you." Milla said. "About... Mr. Tiggular."

He sighed, removing his glasses. "Have a seat."

Slowly, the four students settled in front of his desk. He folded his hands in front of him, trying to find the right words.

"Now-"

"You can't fire Mr. Tiggular, Mr. Diggs. He do anything wrong. Neither of them did." Milla cried, the romantic in her coming out. He held up a hand.

"You have to understand..."


	32. Chapter 32

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"I'm sorry."

Slowly, he looked up from packing, to see her standing in the doorway of his classroom.

"It's not your fault."

She sniffled, moving into the room. He chuckled softly, opening his desk drawer. "It's not fair." Her voice was thick with tears and she sniffled.

"Life isn't fair, Fae. It's not meant to be. Only the strong survive, we learn that from childhood, so we can survive as adults. Sometimes we have to make choices."

She shook her head, sniffling as her tears slid down her cheeks. _"You didn't have to make this one." _Then, she broke down, sobs racking her small body. He stopped packing and went to her, taking her in his arms and holding her close.

"Shh. Shh, Fae. It'll be all right, I promise." She shook her head, grabbing a fistful of his shirt.

_"You promised you wouldn't leave me! You promised you wouldn't hurt me! You promised! You promised me!" _She cried, looking up at him. Her voice was raw and thick with tears, and he felt his heart break at the thought of breaking another promise to her. Her sobs wrenched at him, and as she buried her face in his shirt, he tightened his arms around her, not wanting to let her go.

He'd let her go once, he wasn't going to let her go again.

He'd lost her eleven years ago, and too much time had passed- it'd been sheer luck that they'd ended up working together at the same school. This time, he wasn't going to let so much as an hour pass without her in his arms. If she had to stay at his apartment, she would; she wasn't getting away this time. He'd make sure of it.

For now, he just held her, letting her cry, relishing the feel of her body in his arms, hoping against hope that they would be able to spend the rest of their lives together, despite him losing his job. Taking a deep breath, he kissed the crown of her head and whispered,

"I love you, Elphaba."

She snuggled closer, her sobs getting harder and more heart-wrenching.

"I love you, I love you, I love you. I'll never stop loving you, you understand me? Never. I didn't then and I don't now." She choked out another sob as he rocked her gently back and forth, running a hand through her hair to try to calm her. She didn't say anything, just clung to him and sobbed harder. "Shh. Shh, Fae. Please. Please." Gently, he placed another kiss on her head. "You'll make yourself sick, love. Please. _Please._ You'll make yourself sick, darling, please, hush."

She didn't seem to be listening. After a while, he led her to his desk and sat down, pulling her onto his lap and holding her close. She buried her face in his neck, reaching up to trace his features.

_"Don't leave me, please."_ She choked out, her voice thick with tears. He pressed his lips to her forehead, breathing in her scent.

"I don't have a choice. I have to. I won't. I won't be here, but I won't leave you. I'll always be with you." He told her, kissing her hairline. She shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. You promised. You promised you wouldn't leave me. You promised you wouldn't hurt me again. You promised me that night..._ you promised_..."

He sighed, realizing that she was right.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, love. I'm so sorry."

She sniffled, nudging her nose against his neck. "Don't leave me, Yero, please." After a moment, he pulled away and lifted her chin.

"Hey. Hey, look at me. Elphaba, look at me."

She did as told, staring into his eyes as tears slid down her cheeks.

"I will always be with you. Always. And I'll never stop loving you. I've always loved you. Remember? I'll always love you. Okay? Okay?" He asked, thumbing her bottom lip gently. She nodded slowly, sniffling.

Then, he gently captured her lips in a sweet, loving kiss. They spent several moments kissing, tasting each other with a tenderness only lovers knew. Every so often, he'd nibble on her bottom lip, tasting the salt of her tears. He never released her, cradling her cheek in his hand as he claimed her kisses. They were sweet, tender, much like the kisses they'd shared that night in his apartment.

They were filled with love, trust, faith, all the things they'd showed each other that night, all the promises they'd made to each other that night without words; the kisses were short and sweet, or prolonged with the taste of sadness and heartbreak. As he held her face in his hands, he found himself tracing her features with his fingers. They were features he knew so well, that even eleven years after, he knew her by heart.

"What are you doing?" She asked softly. "Memorizing me?"

He shook his head.

"No. I already know you by heart." He replied, meeting her eyes.

Her lower lip quivered, and after several minutes of looking into his eyes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss that spoke volumes on how she was feeling. Her whole heart and soul was put into the kiss, and he reciprocated, showing her his feelings for her, feelings that had been hidden for so long; feelings that had been shown that snowy night in his apartment, feelings that had been put into three simple words; feelings that possessed eight letters that his tongue had curled around countless times that snowbound night. Words he uttered now in the silence of his classroom, in the arms of his love for perhaps the last time.

"I love you."

Neither noticed their students at the door, watching through the window.


	33. Chapter 33

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to musicgal3 for reviewing 32.**

They broke apart when the door opened. Slowly, they turned to see Milla and her friends enter the classroom. Taking a deep breath, Elphaba climbed off his lap, allowing Fiyero to stand and continue packing. She smoothed her blouse, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

"We're really sorry, Mr. Tiggular."

"It's not your fault, kids." He replied, glancing at them before returning to his work. Silence reigned for several minutes before Elphaba opened her mouth to speak. Noticing, Fiyero reached over to thumb her bottom lip. "And it's not yours. It's mine. It was my decision to kiss Miss Thropp, therefore, it's my responsibility."

Elphaba blinked several times, trying to stop the tears from slipping down her cheeks. When everything was packed, he went to Elphaba, wrapping her in a hug, before kissing her forehead. He whispered 'I love you' against her skin, rubbing her back and breathing in her scent before releasing her and picking up the box. As he went to the door, the students turned back to Miss Thropp, who was wiping her eyes.

"Watch over her for me." He said, pushing the door open and leaving. They nodded, going to the door. Mr. Thropp was placing the box in the backseat of his car, when Mr. Diggs came up to him. They conversed for several minutes, before he led Fiyero back to the classroom.

"Wh... what's going on?"

"Fiyero, you can have your job back."

"But-"

"I had a talk with some people, and they persuaded me to... let you keep your job."

"But who-" Elphaba asked, before looking back at her students. Fiyero and Oscar followed her gaze minutes later. Suddenly uneasy, the students began to squirm under their gazes.

"I had a long talk with Milla and her friends, and they convinced me that the kiss was brought on by the mistletoe Sarima had left over your door during Lurlinemas. They said that... until then, your relationship was secret..." Oscar said, never taking his eyes off the students. After several moments, Oscar turned to Fiyero. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, Fiyero."

He nodded. "It's okay, Oscar. Thank you." The two men shook hands, before Oscar left. Once he was gone, Fiyero turned back to his students, only to have Elphaba throw herself into his arms.

"Oh thank Oz." She cried softly, burying her face in his neck, as he held her several inches off the ground. He held her close, relishing the feeling of her in his arms. After several moments, he pulled away and stared into her eyes, noting the tears swimming within their chocolate depths. Several tears slipped down her cheeks, dripped off her chin and onto his shirt, as she gave him a watery smile.

After several moments of doing nothing but staring into the beautiful eyes he'd fallen in love with twenty-one years earlier, he softly mouthed 'I love you', before kissing her gently. Then he kissed her again and again, sweet kiss after sweet kiss after sweet kiss, each kiss telling her repeatedly that he loved her, that he was never going to leave her, that he was going to be there for her, that she would forever be in his arms, that he would never hurt her, that he'd kept his promise. All that was said in those sweet, tender kisses. Once those were exchanged, he just held her in his arms.

The students watched their teachers for several minutes before returning to the main school and getting their books and backpacks. They all adjourned at Milla's locker, talking softly about what they'd just seen between their teachers.

"I think they're sleeping together." Milla said, as she slammed her locker shut. Glinda raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

The look Milla gave her was enough to freeze water.

"Ms. Thropp and Mr. Tiggular."

"Oh... What do you mean?"

"Glinda, didn't you see the way they reacted to Mr. Diggs saying that Mr. Tiggular could stay? He held her for ten minutes and then kissed her repeatedly." Boq said, leaning against the lockers.

"Plus he whispered that he loved her." Avaric added. Glinda shook her head.

"I didn't notice."

Milla rolled her eyes. "Sometimes you can be so dense, Glinda."

Then, they headed out to the teachers' parking lot. Ms. Thropp and Mr. Tiggular had left, and as the four walked to the bus stop, Milla said,

"I think it's sweet. The two of them."

"You're such a romantic, Milla." Glinda said, rolling her eyes.

"I can't help it. It's who I am."

"No, it's because of all the romance novels you read." Glinda said.

"I don't read romance novels. Romance novels are tacky and childishly written. I read the classics- those are true romance novels. Like what the Mersan sisters wrote- _Glinda Kerse, Rolling Pass, The Merchant of Rosewood Hall_-_ those _are romance novels. _True_ romance, with _true love and happy endings_, not the sugarcoated_ crap_ most people read. That's the problem with most of you, you don't read or give a damn about the classics. They're just pictures you can look at. Most of you wouldn't know what to do with a copy of _Glinda Kerse _if it bit you in the ass."

Avaric and Boq rolled their eyes as Glinda bit back.

"Are you saying I'm an idiot?" Milla stopped and turned to Glinda.

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Ms. Thropp is even smarter than you, yet she's a complete_ idiot concerning romance_! Everyone is smarter than you!"

_"Just because I don't read 'the classics' doesn't mean I'm not literate. I know how to read-"_

_"I'm not saying you don't know how to read, I'm just saying that you're stupid concerning the ways of the world!" _

_"Oh, and like you would know about the 'ways of the world.'"_

"Yes, I would. I grew up in-"

_"The City. We all know you grew up in the City! Stop telling us! We aren't stupid!"_

_"I didn't say-"_

_"You just did!" _

Before either of the boys could step in, both girls stalked off in opposite directions.


	34. Chapter 34

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"Mhmmm... Yero..."

She let out a gasp as he moved deeper, digging her nails into his back. After school, they had gone out to dinner at a little diner, before Fiyero dropped his things at his apartment, and returning to Elphaba's apartment with her. They'd spent the hours after talking and making love. When they collapsed in each others' arms, they spent the time in the afterglow kissing and whispering.

"I thought I'd lost you." She whispered, tracing his features. He smiled softly as her fingers ran over his lips.

"You didn't." He replied, before sitting up and forcing her on her back, so that he was balanced above her. "I made a promise to you, Fae. A promise I swore to keep." Then, he kissed her lovingly, gently nudging her lips open. However, they didn't get very far, because the phone rang. After several moments, Elphaba sat up, grabbing the phone.

"Hello?" She reached up, pushing her hair out of her face. "Glinda, what is it?" She repeatedly shrugged the kisses Fiyero was leaving on her shoulder off, and listened. "All right, honey, calm down, we'll be right there. Okay? We'll see you at the Wilted Rose in ten. Okay, bye." Once she put the phone down, she turned to Fiyero and said, "That was Glinda. She sounded upset. She wants to meet us at the Wilted Rose in ten." He sighed.

"We?"

"Yes, you're going. She's our student, Yero." Elphaba said, climbing out of bed and going to the bathroom.

"Just because she's our student doesn't mean she's our child. Or that we have to treat her like ours." He replied, climbing out of bed and following.

"You love her, don't you, Yero?"

"Of course I do. She's like a daughter to me."

"And me." He sighed.

"All right."

After a quick shower and dressing, they pulled into the parking at the Wilted Rose cafe. Slipping into the cafe, they searched the cafe, before spotting Glinda at a table in the back corner. She stood when they got near.

"Hey, Glinda, what happened?" The younger girl wiped her eyes and nodded for them to take a seat.

"I'm sorry to call you, but I tried my sister and she's on vacation in the Glikkus and I didn't know who else to call."

"It's okay, honey, it's okay. I told you first day you could call me for anything and I meant it." Elphaba said, reaching over to take the girl's hand.

"Glinda, what happened?" Fiyero asked. Sniffling, Glinda met her Math teacher's eyes and said,

"Milla and I got into an arguement on the way home from school. She called me illiterate, and said that I didn't understand the ways of the world. I got mad and stormed off, and when I got home..." She took a deep breath, blinking to hold the tears back.

"When you got home...?" Elphaba asked, gently pushing her.

"My... my parents had packed up... and left... without me..." Elphaba's eyes widened as she realized what Glinda meant. "I... I found this... taped... to the fridge..." She said, pulling a note out of her pocket and handing it to Elphaba. After several moments, the two read it silently.

_Glinda,_

_We're sorry to do this too you, sweetheart, but we couldn't wait any longer. Your father and I got offered tenure jobs at Emerald University, and we accepted them several weeks ago. We meant to tell you, but we couldn't wait any longer, and asking you to move when you've just started school would have been too much. So we've decided that you'll be fine here, with your friends and teachers to look after you, and when you're ready, you can join us in the City. But until then, it would be best if you stayed here. _

_All our love, _

_Mom and Dad_

Slowly, Elphaba and Fiyero looked up at Glinda.

"I... I'm sorry... I... I didn't... I didn't know... who... to call..."

"It's okay, honey." Elphaba said, patting Glinda's hand. Coffee was ordered, and the three sat at the table, Fiyero and Elphaba listening as Glinda told them the whole story. It turned both of their stomachs; the mere thought of parents doing this to a child was unthinkable. It was abandonment. Finally, when they left, Elphaba turned to Glinda. "Where are you staying?"

"At the house."

Elphaba shook her head.

"No. You're not. You're staying with me."

"But-"

"I don't want you staying in that house by yourself, Glinda. You'll stay with me. All right?" After a moment, the girl nodded. "Good."

They stopped at Glinda's first, so she could get some things for the next several days.

"I can't imagine doing that to a child." Fiyero said. Elphaba nodded.

"It's disgusting." Elphaba agreed, as Glinda climbed back into the car, suitcases in hand. "Ready?" The girl nodded. Finally, they dropped Fiyero off at his apartment. With a quick kiss and a goodnight to Glinda, he hurried into the house as Elphaba pulled away from the drive. They drove in silence for a while, before Glinda asked,

"Ms. Lyra?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Glinda."

Once they reached her apartment, Elphaba said,

"Unfortunately, I don't have an extra room. I hope the sofa's okay."

"It'll be fine. Thank you." Elphaba nodded.

"You're welcome to everything in the fridge and the cupboards. I don't have much, but whatever I have you can have. There's extra blankets and pillows in the linen closet, and if you need me, let me know." Glinda nodded, looking around. As Elphaba headed back to her room, Glinda stopped her.

"Ms. Lyra?"

"Yes, Glinda?"

"Thank you."

Elphaba nodded to her.

"You're welcome."


	35. Chapter 35

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to green39 for reviewing 33.**

The next few days passed in tension for Glinda. She didn't want to tell her friends, but eventually did. They accepted it, and eventually, Glinda accepted that her parents had left her, realizing that she had people that loved her around her. Eventually though, she began to resent her parents, and even blamed them for what they had done. She refused to speak to them if they called, and even went so far as to say that she didn't have parents, since it made it easier for her to cope.

One Friday after school, as they walked to their car, Fiyero asked Elphaba to dinner at the Wilted Rose, and after some thought, she agreed. So it was that night that Glinda found Elphaba getting dressed for her dinner date- although, according to Elphaba, it was just a casual dinner between friends.

"Going out?"

Elphaba's head snapped up, and she stared at her student, too startled to do anything. "Umm... uh..."

"It's okay, Ms Thropp. You don't have to tell me. It's fairly obvious you're going out on a date."

"It is?" Elphaba asked, raising her eyebrows. Glinda nodded.

"The dress... and shawl." Elphaba looked back at the shawl on her bed and the dress in her hands. It was the dress her secret admirer had given her. A blush crept into her cheeks. "Who is it?" Elphaba kept quiet for several minutes, before she bit her lip.

"Fiyero." Elphaba muttered, as Glinda sat on her bed. The blonde's mouth dropped in surprise and delight.

_"Mr. Tiggular?" _Glinda cried. Elphaba nodded. After several minutes, Glinda said, "He loves you."

Elphaba shrugged.

"We're just friends."

"Like that kiss was just between friends." Glinda said, refering the mistletoe. Elphaba blushed again, but continued to get dressed. As she slipped into her stilettos, and worked on her hair, Glinda said, "I can help you with your hair."

"Would you?" Glinda nodded. Then, grabbing the brush, she went to Elphaba, and after a while, had worked Elphaba's long black tressles into glossy curls. Once she had everything, she left, promising Glinda that she wouldn't be long, to which Glinda told her to take her time and have fun.

Around seven, Elphaba slipped into the Wilted Rose and scanned for Fiyero. Finding him, she went to the table, slipping into the seat to his bright smile.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late." She said softly.

"You're right on time, Fae." He replied, handing her her menu.

"Thank you."

He nodded. "I hope the Wilted Rose is okay."

"I love the Wilted Rose, you know that." She replied. They looked through the menu for several minutes before ordering. Once dinner arrived, they talked together softly, Elphaba telling him about how Glinda was doing, and Fiyero telling her about how Oscar was trying to get ahold of her parents.

"She's certainly grown up in the last several days." Fiyero said, as they ate. Elphaba nodded.

"She's doing really well." Elphaba agreed.

"It's just sickening how they would do that to a child. I couldn't imagine doing that to my children."

"I couldn't either; I wouldn't be able to."

They finished dinner, sharing a slice of cherry pie, before leaving the cafe and going on a walk to the park. She slipped her hand into his as they walked along under the stars, feeling completely content.

"You know, if the world ended tomorrow, I'd be perfectly okay with that."

"Really?" She nodded. "Why?"

She looked up at him.

"Because I have you."

Then, she slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply, holding him close and drinking in his taste. The feel of him in her arms, after everything that had happened, sent chills up her spine, and she thanked Oz for allowing them to be together again, after everything that had happened in their lives. He tightened his arms around her waist, holding her close, enjoying the feel of her in his embrace.

They'd been apart to long, and even though they'd been together, their time felt together felt numbered. So they had made the best of it.

When he pulled away, he looked into her eyes and noticed the love reflected in her eyes was also in his own. He couldn't help the smile that overcame him, at the feel of his childhood love in his arms. Though she had grown and filled out, she was still the girl he'd fallen in love with twenty-one years ago. It was then that he realized, they were perfect together, absolutely perfect.

From that night at his apartment, to now, they were absolutely meant to be. He was sure of it. And now that he knew he had her in his arms, he knew he wasn't going to let her go ever again. He'd lost her once, nearly lost her twice, and wasn't going to let her go ever again. He'd make sure of it. And he knew exactly how to do it, also. He just needed the right moment.

When he set her on her feet, they continued through the park, making it to the footbridge near lovers' lane. Over the years, the lovers' lane had been known for grisely murders in the twenties and forties, serial killers in the sixties, murder-suicides in the eighties, and police shootouts in the nineties, it was time that the lovers' lane was connected to a good memory instead of a grisely one.

Once they were on the footbridge, they watched the water below for several minutes, before he turned to her.

"Elphaba?" She looked up at him.

"Yes, Yero?" He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair.

"You know I've always loved you, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Yero. And I've always loved you. For twenty-one years, you said it yourself."

"Good. That means I'm not alone in this."

"Alone in what? Yero, what's wrong? Hey..." She grabbed his arm. "Hey. What's wrong? Yero, you're jittery. Why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset." He replied, as she cupped his face in her arms. He looked into her eyes, before pulling away. After taking a deep breath, knelt in front of her and took her hand.

"Yero-"

"Fae, I love you, more than I ever thought possible. I fell in love with you from the moment I first laid eyes on you twenty-one years ago. And I never stopped thinking about you. I couldn't. And I fell in love with you more and more over the years that we were apart. Fae, I loved you then and I love you now."

"Yero, are-"

"Fae, I'm asking you-"

"Yes."

"- to-"

"Yes."

"- be my wife."

"Yes. Yero, yes!" She cried, pulling him to his feet and throwing her arms around his neck. She kissed him deeply, before he set her on her feet.

"Did you say yes?"

She nodded.

"Yes! Yes!" She told him, as he slipped the ring on her finger.

Then, he scooped her into his arms and kissed her under the moonlight.


	36. Chapter 36

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

The following Monday, the students entered Elphaba's classroom and took their seats silently, as Elphaba went through her lesson plans for her classes. She glanced at everyone, silently blushing. She glanced at her ring, wondering how long it would take before the students noticed her ring and guessed at what had gone on between her and Fiyero.

"Morning, Ms Thropp."

"Morning class." Elphaba said, quickly taking roll. Then, the class settled down as the announcements began. It was when Elphaba's history class came in that the uproar began. As she passed back papers, Milla thought she caught sight of a ring on Elphaba's left hand. Her mouth dropped and she turned to her friends, excitement lighting her eyes. She bounced up and down in her seat, dieing to know what was going on and not wanting to wait for Elphaba to explain.

"Did you-"

Glinda furrowed her brow.

The others looked at her, shrugging. Finally, Milla raised her hand, hoping to get to the bottom of the problem.

"Ms Thropp?"

"Yes, Milla?" Elphaba asked, looking through her lesson plan at the table. She didn't bother looking at the girl, knowing who it was, and what she wanted. After several moments, Elphaba glanced up at her student. Apparently, not long.

Glinda rolled her eyes. The hopeless romantic was coming out again, and it was getting annoying.

"Milla, it's not a-"

"Yes, it is, Milla. Why do you ask?" Elphaba asked, glancing down at her ring before looking back at her student.

Glinda's mouth dropped, as the rest of the class erupted in chatter. Elphaba watched with silent delight as her students reacted to her news. Suddenly, Milla, Glinda, Boq and Avaric rushed towards her, asking to see the ring. A small smile on her face, she held her hand out to them, allowing the students to examine the ring.

"Oh Ms. Thropp, it's beautiful!" Glinda cried.

"Who gave it to you?" Milla asked. Elphaba blushed.

"Mr. Tiggular!" Glinda cried. Biting her lip, Elphaba kept quiet. She didn't say anything, and Glinda knew she was right. "Mr. Tiggular proposed!" Glinda cried, causing the class chatter to become a roar. Through the noise, the back door near Elphaba's desk opened, and Fiyero poked his head into the room.

"Um, Ms. Thropp, would you mind controlling your-"

Instantly, everyone fell silent and turned to look at him. Elphaba stood blushing among her students, and after several moments, the students rushed to Fiyero. He ducked slightly as they rushed to him, shouting congratulations and kudos. The commotion brought several of the other students and teachers into the classroom, where the engagement was announced. Amid cries of kudos and questions of when the wedding was set, Elphaba ended up showing her ring to most of the students and several of the staff.

The ring was truly beautiful.

A simple silver band, engraved with the words,_ For My One True Love_, it held three diamonds- a trinity ring- a princess cut with two smaller round brilliant cut diamonds on the left and right. When Fiyero gave it to her, he told her that the three diamonds represented their past, present and future, and that it always would. She told him that she hoped it would represent them for the rest of their lives. The simple silver band was beautiful, as the diamonds glinted in the light.

After several moments, Fiyero went to Elphaba, gathered her in his arms, and kissed her gently.

Safe to say, not much got done that afternoon.

Once school got out, Milla and her friends stayed behind, watching their teachers talk softly together. After several moments, Fiyero and Elphaba left.

"Where are you going?" Milla asked. Elphaba looked back, as she climbed into her car.

"We're going shopping!"

"For what?"

Elphaba and Fiyero shared a surprised look, before turning back to the kids.

"For a wedding dress!"

Then, with a sweet goodbye, they left. Once they were gone, the four walked down to the Wilted Rose and ordered coffee and something to eat.

"I can't believe they got engaged."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." Avaric said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I know, but still, they denied that they liked each other for a whole semester-" Glinda started.

"No, Ms. Thropp denied that she liked Mr. Tiggular. Mr. Tiggular _never_ denied that he liked Ms. Thropp." Boq said.

"Who cares. The important thing is that there's going to be a wedding!" Milla cried, all her romantic fantasies coming back full force. "I wonder what kind of dress she'll pick. Maybe a halter- or something strapless. She would look so beautiful in a strapless white wedding dress with her hair in curls and her make up done- oh I can't wait!"

Glinda rolled her eyes, but couldn't help admitting that she was just as excited as Milla about her teachers getting married.

"Do you think we'll be invited to the wedding?" Glinda asked, curious.

"I don't see why we wouldn't." Avaric said, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"But won't we be butting in on their special day?" Glinda asked, suddenly worried. Boq shook his head.

"We won't know until the wedding, but I don't see why we wouldn't be invited to the wedding."

"They might not want us." Glinda said.

"Why wouldn't they want us there?" Avaric asked. Glinda shrugged.

"I don't know."

"I can't imagine Ms. Thropp and Mr. Tiggular not wanting us at their wedding." Avaric told them.


	37. Chapter 37

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short.**

Fiyero and Elphaba set their wedding for spring break, planning and keeping everything secret. Two weeks before spring break, Elphaba slipped cards onto Milla, Glinda, Avaric and Boq's desks, and with a secret little smile, she dismissed her class. Unfortunately, the four had to wait until lunch to open them. When lunch finally rolled around, they got their lunch, settled at their usual table, and looking at each other, pulled their cards out of their bags.

"Ready?" Avaric asked, as the others nodded. On the count of three, they opened the envelopes, and pulled out- not cards- but invitations.

Wedding invitations.

They were beautiful sapphire blue invites with emerald green lace design at the top and bottom.

Together with their parents

Elphaba Isabella Thropp

and

Fiyero Alexander Tiggular

request the pleasure of your company

at the joining of their union

The fourteenth of May

two thousand and ten

at dusk

At The Rose Garden at Suti Shiz Park

Reception to follow

"They're wedding invitations!" Milla cried.

After lunch, they tried to get a moment alone to thank their teachers, but ended up going home without thanking them. Well, except Glinda. She thanked Elphaba as soon as they got back to the apartment.

"What are you going to do once you and Mr. Tiggular get married? With the apartment?" Glinda asked, as she and Elphaba sat at the table with bowls of ice cream.

"Well, I'm going to move in with Fiyero, and we're going to live in his apartment. And as for this one, well... would you like to stay here, Glinda?"

"Can I? I'm only fourteen."

"Well, you can if you have a guardian looking after you, then you'll be able to stay here. The landlord knows the situation and trusts me, and she said she'll keep watch on you too, until we can find a permanent place for you. Okay?"

After a while, Glinda nodded.

Spring break rolled around fast, and so did the wedding. So it was on May fourteenth that Glinda and her friends found themselves in the rose garden at Suti Shiz Park at dusk. As she slipped into her seat next to Milla. She'd chosen a light pink halter and black heels. She looked very grown up in her spring dress. As for Milla, the girl had dressed in a sky blue spaghetti strap dress with black heels. Both girls wore their hair in curls and excitement danced in their eyes.

"I wonder what her dress looks like." Milla said.

"I bet she looks absolutely beautiful!" Glinda said, excitement in her cheeks.

"Have you noticed, we're the only students here?" Boq asked, looking around. Slowly, the other three did as well, realization dawning.

"Maybe they only wanted us here." Milla said.

"Doesn't that mean we're special?" Glinda asked, playing with a wayward curl. The others shook their heads, all silently excited by the fact that their teachers had asked_ them _to their wedding and not their classmates.

As the four sat chattering, they didn't even realize that music had started and the procession was starting down the aisle. Avaric gently tugged on Milla's shoulder when Elphaba started down the aisle.

"Look."

They turned, standing with the others, as Elphaba and her father started down the aisle.

"She looks so beautiful." Milla whispered, the romanticism she was raised in coming out. Elphaba glanced around quickly, and spotting her students, winked to them, before turning back to Fiyero. All four knew what it meant.

A silent thank you for everything they'd done to help.

Turning back to the man in front of her, all Elphaba could see anymore, was Fiyero. Her childhood sweetheart, her first love. And now, the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with. Her heart skipped a beat, as butterflies erupted in her stomach, at the thought of spending every day and night with him for the rest of her life, through the good and the bad, through having children and grandchildren, he was going to be there with her through it all.

Like he promised her that night.

He was going to be there for her for every good and bad night, every good and bad day, every memorable vacation and forgetful weekend.

He promised her.

And he was going to stick to it.

He'd promised her.

And as she made her way towards him, a smile bloomed on her features, a smile that mirrored his own. It was a smile filled with promise and excitement, love and happiness, fear and hope. And as she took his hand at the altar, she knew that everything would be all right.


	38. Chapter 38

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: The pastor's speech and everything up until and after Elphaba and Fiyero's vows are from KMG.**

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today, in this place of natural beauty to be joyful, in celebration of the relationship of Elphaba and Fiyero. This is a special time of celebration that Elphaba and Fiyero will long remember, and because of this, they are thankful you are here to share their joy. From the dawn of human history, it has been customary for the community to place its seal of approval upon the union of two persons in marriage. If these solemn vows that they are about to make are kept faithfully, God will bless their marriage. It is one of life's richest surprises when the accidental meeting of two life paths lead them to proceed together along the common path as husband and wife. It is one of life's finest experiences when a casual relationship grows into a permanent bond of love. This meeting and this growth bring us together today." Elphaba glanced at Fiyero, and they shared a smile, gently squeezing hands.

"The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God. It is fitting to speak briefly about love. We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in the seeming disorder. We discover the truest guideline to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes. Love is the eternal force of life. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage. But, you must "be of love a little more careful than of anything." For the giving of yourself in love is difficult: you must learn to give of your love without total submission of yourself. Therefore, in your giving, give your joy, your sadness, your interest, your understanding, and your knowledge–all expressions that make up life. But in this giving, remember to preserve yourself–your integrity, your individuality. This is the challenge of love within marriage."

The pastor then turned to the couple.

"If there is anyone who objects to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Elphaba looked around, fear flashing in her eyes.

Nothing.

She had nothing to be worried about, but still...

"Well, seeing as no one here objects, shall we continue?" Elphaba and Fiyero nodded.

"Fiyero, do you take this woman, Elphaba, to be your wife, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be her loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?"

Fiyero nodded, smiling at his childhood sweetheart.

"I do."

Then the pastor turned to Elphaba.

"Elphaba, do you take this man, Fiyero, to be your husband, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be his loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

He nodded.

"Now, at this time, Fiyero and Elphaba have prepared their own vows for the ceremony." He nodded to Fiyero to begin. Taking a deep breath, Fiyero turned to Elphaba, and squeezed her hand lightly, reassuringly.

"Elphaba, you've been my childhood sweetheart, my best friend for years. We grew up together, and when we lost each other, I thought I'd lost you forever. So when I discovered we were working together, I thought I was dreaming. It seemed too good to be true. And... so I tried to get your attention. I... left you little notes and... after the notes... I left... cups of coffee and bagels... roses and..."

As he talked, Elphaba's jaw dropped in surprise.

'You?' She mouthed. He nodded.

"And then the dress. The dress you wore on opening night... the dress you wore on the night we got engaged... I knew you then, and I know you now. You make me the happiest man in the world, and I want to make sure I make you the happiest woman. And I'm going to do everything I can, to make sure you're happy. I promise."

The pastor turned to her.

"Elphaba?"

The shock of Fiyero's admission still on her face, she leaned over, capturing his lips in a quick kiss.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked softly. He chuckled gently.

"I thought you'd figure it out."

"Oh Oz." Tears sliding down her cheeks, she started on her vows.

"Fiyero, I love you with my whole heart and soul, and while I love that you tell me everything, there are some things I wish you had told me sooner." She burst out laughing through her tears, and reached up to wipe them away. The audience joined in the laughter, before Elphaba continued. "If only I'd known, but... I spent so much time hiding from love, that I didn't realize my true love was in front of me... and leaving little gifts..."

She bit her lip, thinking, before speaking.

"What I'm trying to say, Yero my Hero, is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to give you children and... as crazy as this sounds, I want more little notes and gifts and surprises, because they make my life memorable. And it's always been memorable with you. And I hope it always will be."

"Do we have the rings?"

There was silence, as Fiyero's best man pulled the rings from his pocket.

"The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Fiyero and Elphaba have made to one another. Bless O God these rings, that Elphaba and Fiyero, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives."

He handed Fiyero the ring.

"Elphaba, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed."

Gently, he slipped the small gold band on Elphaba's finger. She let out a tear filled gasp, giving him a watery smile, and then took the ring from the pastor, before turning to Fiyero.

"Fiyero, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, With this ring, I thee wed."

When they had exchanged rings, the pastor spoke.

"In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss-

Once he was told he could kiss her, Fiyero gathered her into his arms, and kissed her deeply.

"- the bride!"

Laughter and cheers erupted from the crowd as the two locked in a passionate embrace that deepened over time.


	39. Chapter 39

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Elphaba's wedding dress is in my profile.**

**A/N: The song Fiyero and Elphaba dance to is _I Love You, Always Forever _by Donna Lewis**

The reception was exciting and fun and the kids loved it. Seated at their table, the chatter of the guests all around, they watched the doors of the reception hall, waiting for their teachers. Finally, the emcee announced,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please help me welcome Mr. and Mrs. Fiyero Tiggular."

The guests erupted in cheers and applause, as Elphaba and Fiyero entered. It was then that they got a good look at Elphaba's wedding dress.

It was strapless, with a semi-full skirt, and beaded detail on the right side of the bodice and on various parts of the skirt, with a white chiffon overlay. Her hair was in a cascade of curls and the veil she wore tumbled down her back, over the train and onto the floor. And her skin only added to the beauty. At that moment, she didn't look like their teacher, she looked like a new braid in love with her new husband.

Once they sat down and dinner began, the students couldn't stop talking about their teachers. And when the dancing began, and Fiyero pulled Elphaba onto the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife, the kids heard a song they'd heard several times before- but always on the radio.

_"Feels like I'm standing in a timeless dream_  
_Of light mists and pale amber rose_  
_Feels like I'm lost in a deep cloud of heavenly scent_  
_Touching, discovering you_

_Those days of warm rains come rushing back to me_  
_Miles of windless summer night air_  
_Secret moments shared in the heat of the afternoon_  
_Out of the stillness soft spoken words_  
_Say say it again"_

They swayed gently to the music, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. They talked softly, sharing gentle kisses and smiles. Then, they just settled to swaying gently in each others' arms, perfectly content.

_"I love you always forever_  
_Near and far closer together_  
_Everywhere I will be with you_  
_Everything I will do for you_

_You've got the most wonderful blue eyes I've ever seen_  
_You've got me almost melting away_  
_As we lay there under a blue sky with pure white stars_  
_Exotic sweetness a magical time_  
_Say, say it again"_

The students watched their teachers, noticing how content they were.

"They seem really happy."

"Of course they are, Avaric, they found true love." Milla said, leaning on her elbows on the table. She sighed dramatically. _"Isn't it romantic?"_

_"I love you always forever_  
_Near and far closer together_  
_Everywhere I will be with you_  
_Everything I will do for you_

_Say you'll always love me forever_  
_Never stop never forever_  
_Near or far and always and everywhere and everything_  
_Say you'll always love me forever_  
_Never stop never forever_  
_Near or far and always and everywhere and everything"_

"You think they'll have kids soon?" Glinda asked, looking at her friends. Boq shrugged.

"They should just enjoy the first years of their marriage." Avaric replied.

"Why when they could have babies?" Glinda asked, turning back to her teachers.

"Because then it'd be just them before kids came along."

_"Say you'll always love me forever_  
_Never stop never forever_  
_Near or far and always and everywhere and everything_  
_Say you'll always love me forever_  
_Never stop never forever_  
_Near or far and always and everywhere and everything_

_I love you always forever_  
_Near and far closer together_  
_Everywhere I will be with you_  
_Everything I will do for you"_

When the song ended, they left the dance floor, going to the cake. After the toasts, the cake was cut and shared, before the bouquet was tossed. After the garter was removed, Frex pulled them aside and handed them his cellphone.

"Who is it, Dad?"

"It's from Nessa."

Quickly, Elphaba took the phone, looking into the screen and seeing her sister.

"Nessie, hey honey, how are you?"

Nessa looked worn out, as though she'd just been run over by a truck.

"Hey Fabala. I'm okay."

"You sure, Nessie?" She nodded.

"Fabala, I want you to meet your nephew." And Nessa's husband Trism backed up, revealing their son. "Meet Liir."

"Oh, Nessie, he's beautiful. Yero, isn't he gorgeous."

"Congrats, Nessa."

"Thanks Fiyero. Congratulations, you two. A wedding and a baby on the same day. It's certainly a lucky day."

"He's beautiful, Nessie."

"Thanks. Anyway, what I wanted to say, Fabala, was congratulations. Welcome to the family, Yero."

"Thanks Nessa." Once they hung up, Elphaba handed the phone back to her father, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed her husband- _her husband_- deeply. He held her close, pressing her body to his, deepening the kiss as their guests watched with delight in their eyes.


	40. Chapter 40

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: Okay, I have a question for you... When do _you_ think Elphaba and Fiyero should have a baby? Or _should_ they?**

**Question: How'd Glinda get thier number anyways?**

**Answer: some teachers, when they hand out the syllabus, have their phone number and office address on it so the students can get ahold of them if they have a problem, like with homework or if they need to take a test, that kind of thing**

**Question: why'd you name Nessa's son Liir I always thought that Elphaba was always meant to have that name for her son?**

**Answer: there's a reason Nessa's son is named Liir**

**Question: Is this the end?**

**Answer: nope**

**Question: What kind of a parent does that?**

**Answer: Glinda's parents apparently**

**Question: So was everyone else at the wedding Fiyero's family and friends?**

**Answer: Some were Fiyero's family, some were Elphaba's, like close or distant relatives- except for Nessa and Trism- and the rest were Fiyero and Elphaba's close friends**

**Thanks to lizziemagic for reviewing 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39 to Beautifully Tragic Girl for reviewing 38 and 39, LittleGreenGirlxx for reviewing 39, musicgal3 for reviewing 39, Hedwig466 for reviewing 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38 and 39.**

"Oh Yero, it's beautiful!"

Once he set her down, she wandered into the room, eyes wide with excitement as she took in the suite around them. They were staying at the Emerald Hotel in the central part of the City, which included access to everything one wanted to do.

"Do you like it?" She turned back to look at him, a smile widening on her features.

"I love it." She whispered, rushing to him. Her arms were soon around him, and he held her close, lifting her slightly off the ground. A giggle escaped her lips, and she looked into his eyes for several moments before whispering, "I love you." He never broke her gaze, and whispered in return,

"I love you." Chills ran up his spine as he watched the smile appear on his wife's features. After sharing a tender kiss, he set her down, and then shut the door, before turning back to watch her wander around the room. The mere fact that she was now his wife was startling, exciting, and a little scary.

"Yero!"

After several moments, he left the living room, followin the sound of her voice until he came to the bedroom, to see her laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The only evidence that she was on the bed, was the pile of white material on the emerald green covers. Slowly, he went to her, joining her on the bed.

"I take it you like it?"

"I love it. And I love you." She said, reaching up and tugging gently on the front of his shirt, until he leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss. It was sweet, tender, the way a kiss between a husband and wife should be.

"I love you." He whispered, staring into her eyes. The smile that met him was one of pure joy, of absolute love and acceptance. It was a smile that she reserved only for him. Tenderly, he reached down to thumb her bottom lip, before he kissed her again. Their kisses turned to something more, and slowly, they began to undress. Her hands worked the buttons on his shirt, and once the shirt hung open, she ran her hands over his chest, enjoying the feel of his skin under her hands.

They sat up, and he gently removed her veil, before working on the lacings at the back of her dress. Slowly, the fabric began to fall to the bed, leaving her in nothing but her bra and underwear. Once they were both completely nude, they let their need take hold, and he captured her lips in his, pulling her into his lap. They sat kissing and touching, allowing their hands to run over each other gently, before he gently flipped her to her back on the bed. She looked up at him, seeing all the love he held for her reflected in his eyes.

As their kisses took hold, they let their bodies slowly catch up, making this loving all the sweeter. Their lips ran over skin, igniting shivers along their nerves, and when they slowly slid together, becoming one, they realized that this loving far outshined the night of the snowstorm. While that loving had been a rediscovering of souls, this one was a joining of souls as man and wife. Their cries mixed together, as their bodies again fit together perfectly.

"Oh Yero!"

When they finally reached their climax, they collapsed in each others' arms, and spent the next several minutes kissing and cuddling until they were comfortably under the blankets, curled in each others' arms. Eventually, they drifted off to sleep, content. Sometime around three, Fiyero awoke, and after several minutes of disorientation, he remembered where he was and who he was with. Slowly, he looked down and saw his wife curled in his arms.

She was the girl he'd grown up with, the girl he'd fallen in love with, the girl he'd thought of as a sister; for years, until she moved away, and then he started thinking of her as something else. She was a woman, a beautiful woman, with a heart and soul that belonged to him, in body, mind, soul and now name; that left him speechless and more in love than ever. And with each passing moment, he fell deeper and deeper, for one simple, clear reason.

She was his wife.


	41. Chapter 41

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: I'm sorry this chapter is so late. **

**Oh, also: WARNING! This chapter has references and mentions of high HIGH smut! IF you are OFFENDED, DO NOT READ THIS CHAPTER! Although to be honest, this is too high even for _me_. How did a chapter like this come out of _my_ head? **

**Thanks to musicgal3, Spokesperson for Rationalism (formerly Beautifully Tragic Girl) and lizziemagic for reviewing 41.**

"I love you, Mr. Tiggular."

Kiss.

"I love you, Mrs. Tiggular."

She blushed, burying her face in his shoulder. After several minutes, she looked up, brushing her long raven hair away from her face.

"I'm going to have to get used to that." He chuckled softly, and pulled her closer, running a hand over her thigh in the process- a move that was very inappropriate in their current place of residence.

School.

It was one week after spring break, after Fiyero and Elphaba's May wedding and honeymoon, and they were relishing a few precious moments in Elphaba's classroom before school started. Although these few fleeting kisses as the minutes ticked down to the start of school were nothing compared to the touches and caresses that took place in their bed before they got ready for school. More than once, the two would find themselves tangled in the sheets, locked in passionate kisses as their hands tangled in hair, traveled over skin and explored crevices they knew by heart. And at night, the passion grew. Although nothing that had gone on in the last hour and a half could compare to the passion they'd shared the night before...

Returning from their honeymoon, Fiyero had scooped her up and carried her to their- _their_- bedroom, shutting and locking the door behind them. Once behind the locked door, they'd proceeded to undress, peeling the clothing from their bodies like second skins. As they fought for control of the kiss, they moved back, eventually meeting the wall.

Her back pressed against the cool wall, as he ran his hands over her body; tangling them in her hair, cupping and massaging her breasts; brushing gently over her hardening nipples; of their own accord, they trailed over her stomach, around her waist, down over her shapely little buttocks and around the curves of her thighs. She whimpered softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair.

"Yero..."

She moaned softly, pressing her hips against his. After a moment, she pressed her soft lips to his ear, whispering,

"I need you."

He met her eyes briefly before kissing her. Removing his hand from between her thighs, he pressed against her, gently moving into her. She shivered, feeling the cold protection against her heated skin. But the chill was soon replaced with a familiar comforting throbbing as his thickness filled her once again. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips as he moved into her, taking her gently. They rocked, moving together in a comforting rhythm as she closed around him, adjusted to him.

Eventually, they cried out to each other, passion taking over, turning gentle lovemaking into something more intimate. When they'd tired of standing, they returned to the bed, moving faster, getting closer, that it would have been impossible to figure where one started and the other ended. She eventually wrapped her legs around him, forcing him to move deeper into her. As they danced within the sheets of their marriage bed, he whispered,

"I love you."

... The bell rang, interrupting their soft kisses and whispered promises, as students began to enter the classroom. Standing, the two went to the door. Before parting, Fiyero turned back to her. Lifting her chin, he whispered,

"I'll see you at lunch. I love you, Mrs. Tiggular."

And with a kiss, he was gone.

When she closed the door and turned to her class, she found them all watching her. After several moments of awkward silence- of which consisted of her smoothing her blouse and brushing her long raven hair over her shoulder- she came around her desk saying,

"Morning class."

"Morning Mrs. Tiggular." She jumped, startled at the unison reply and unfamiliar name and glanced around. Finally recovering her cool, she asked,

"How was everyone's spring break?" Not turning around, "Yes, Glinda?"

The blonde lowered her hand. Licking her lips, she said,

"Um, M... Ms. Lyra... M... Miss Thro... Mrs. Tiggular..."

"Get to the point, Glinda."

The blonde nodded.

"Um... when are you and Mr. Tiggular going to have a baby?"

Eyes wide with shock and horror, Elphaba's head snapped up.


	42. Chapter 42

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to musicgal3, Hedwig466 and lizziemagic for reviewing 41.**

"Um..."

Slowly, Elphaba turned to look at her students; sitting there silently, they watched and waited for her answer. The older woman bit her lip.

How was she going to talk herself out of this one?

"Are you and Mr. Tiggular going to have a baby soon?" Glinda asked, prodding the question. Elphaba's eyes narrowed at the blonde.

_Looks like I'm going to have to punch someone out before first period._

"Actually, Fi-" She stopped; changed her mind. "Actually, Glinda, Mr. Tiggular and I decided that we're going to wait a while before we have kids."

"Why?" Glinda asked, confused. Elphaba sighed inwardly. Sometimes the girl could be so dense.

"Because we want to enjoy our life together. We don't want the responsibility that kids come with until we've been married for a few years."

"How many years?" Elphaba wrinkled her nose.

_Scratch that, I'll kill her._

"Why do you want to know?" Elphaba asked as she perched on the edge of the table. The blonde shrugged.

"Just curious."

"Well your curiosity won't kill you. It won't be for a while. We might consider having kids after our fifth wedding anniversary."

The class groaned; they all seemed to be expecting their teacher to show up to the next class wearing maternity clothes and planning her baby shower. Well it wasn't going to happen- not if Elphaba and Fiyero had anything to say about it. She rolled her eyes at her students' antics. They were all acting ridiculous. She and Fiyero had discussed the possibility of having children when they slipped off to their honeymoon, and the cons had outweighed the pros by a majority.

When lunch rolled around, Elphaba collapsed in her chair, finally able to catch her breath. She'd spent the period before discussing the Snowcap War of 1121; it was a subject her husband- she got a silent thrill from that one, simple word- was fluent in, seeing as it had taken place between his tribe and the Scrow centuries ago. Reaching out, she attempted to wrap her fingers around the stress ball she'd gotten not long after her first days at Shiz High, and only succeeded in knocking it under her desk.

"Oh for Oz's sake." She muttered, getting up and climbing under her desk. She didn't hear the door open.

"I take it you decided that we were going to have lunch under your desk instead of in the lounge." She turned, finding Fiyero leaning against the doorjam, watching her, a bag and two cups of coffee in his hands. She also noticed that his eyes would flick periodically from her face to her shapely little rear in appreciation. Sighing, she rolled her eyes.

"No. I just... dropped my stress ball, and I was retrieving it." She replied, turning her attention back to the plush blue ball, unaware that he'd set the coffee and the bag on the desk and joined her.

"A stress ball? You bought a stress ball?" He asked, watching her.

"Yes, I bought a stress ball. Not long after I started working here." She said, moving to stand and banging her head on the bottom of her desk. She winced. "Ow."

"Careful." And he reached over, gently rubbing the top of her head before tilting her head down and kissing the sore spot. "There, better."

"Thank you." She replied, giggling softly. After a moment, he reached up and grabbed the bag and coffee cups, bringing them down to their level. "What did you bring?"

"Just a couple sandwiches." He replied, removing them from the bag. "And a couple bags of coffee."

She took the sandwich he offered gratefully, unwrapped it and bit in, before realizing her husband's grammar.

"Bags?" He stared at her for a minutes, before understanding. Shaking his head, he replied,

"I meant cups."

"You said bags."

"I know I said bags, but I meant cups."

They ate in silence before Elphaba brought up the subject of children.

"Glinda asked me when we were going to have kids."

"Really?" He asked, meeting her eyes. She nodded. "Before classes started or-"

"No. During homeroom. She asked when we were going to have kids-"

"Nosy little creampuff." Fiyero muttered, taking a sip of his coffee.

"And I told her that we weren't going to have any for at least five years."

"Which is true."

"Yeah, but they weren't happy." Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"It's not their decision when we have children!" He replied.

"I know." Elphaba said, biting into her sandwich.

"They didn't just get married, and have decided that they want to spend some time as husband and wife before they become, well..."

"Mom and dad?" Elphaba filled in. He nodded.

"Besides, we're not going to be having children as long as we're using protection-"

"Which we are." Elphaba added.

"Right. And as long as it's protected, there's no way we can possibly end up becoming parents."

"And I explained that too them. And then Boq- since his dad's a doctor- said,"

"Oh boy, here we go." Fiyero muttered leaning back against the side of her desk.

"'Accidents will happen.'"

"And you said?"

Glancing at him, Elphaba took a sip of her coffee before replying.

"'Not if we have anything to say about it.'"


	43. Chapter 43

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: This chapter's for Hedwig466.**

**Question: I kind of miss Nessa.. will she be back soon?**

**Answer: I'm not saying... you'll have to read to find out.**

**Thanks to musicgal3 and Hedwig466 for reviewing 42.**

"I love you."

"I love you."

The sound of the doorbell ringing cut through their content silence, but they ignored it. Gently, he ran his hand down her side, wrapping around her jean-clad thigh and pulling her closer. They lay facing each other on the bed, kissing and touching the Saturday following the return from spring break. Auditions had started for the spring play Tuesday, and rehearsals started Thursday after the cast list was posted. Now, they lay on the bed after working in the front yard all morning, relaxing. He pulled her closer; their hips slid together, fitting perfectly, with only the jeans they wore seperating them by inches. The tank she wore fit her body perfectly, one strap hanging down her arm limply. She'd unbuttoned his overshirt before running her hands over his tank-clad chest.

They lay barefoot on the bed, their hips together, their lips crashing gently as their hands trailed over skin and cloth. He captured her lips in his, kissing her deeply, pulling her closer, closer... until she pushed him back on the bed and straddled his waist. Her legs hugged his waist, and she leaned down, kissing him lovingly. Slowly, he ran his hands over her legs; caressing her thighs and hugging her tiny waist. Her hands trailed over his chest before moving over his arms. She traced the diamonds, remembering the shock of when she'd seen them for the first time, as a child. Finally pulling away, she asked,

"Isn't it traditional in the Vinkun culture for the bride to recieve her own tattoos?" He stared at her, suprised.

"Um... i... it was traditional up until the ninteen-twenties. After the twenties, the tattoos stopped. Why?"

"Well, you have yours."

"Sweetheart, I'm the Crown Prince."

"I know." She replied, leaning down and kissing him. "And my marriage to you makes me the Crown Princess." They shared a sweet, quick kiss before she pulled away. "So it's only fair..."

"You really want this, don't you?" He asked as she sat up. She nodded.

"More than kids, actually." She replied, pulling her hair back away from her face before letting it fall down around her shoulders again.

"All right." He ran his hands up her body, tangling in her hair before moving around and gently cupping her small breasts momentarily before moving up to cradle her face in his hands. "First thing tomorrow. I've got a friend in town who was trained in the art of Vinkun tattooing. I'll take you tomorrow morning."

"But tomorrow's a holiday."

"I know. Shop to ourselves. Plus, it'll give him time to actually work on the intricacy of the design- since Vinkun tattoos are very..."

"Intricate?" She offered, raising her eyebrows. He chuckled softly. "Thank you." Then, she leaned down and kissed him, deeply...

_Ding Dong!_

They broke apart, turning towards the closed bedroom door. Sighing, Elphaba laid her head on his chest and groaned.

"I'd better get that before they wear out the doorbell." Fiyero said, gently shifting her to the bed and getting up.

"No..." She looked up, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He turned back to her. "Leave it."

"Fae-"

"Leave it. They'll go away eventually. It's probably just some salesman." She said, pulling him back to the bed and kissing him.

"I don't think it is."

"No."

"I'll be right back." He said, kissing her.

"Yero!" But he'd already slipped out of the bedroom. Groaning, she threw herself back on the bed and covered her eyes. "GO AWAY!" She screamed, hoping the person ringing the doorbell would leave.

"Fae!" In a matter of minutes, she was up and out the bedroom door, joining her husband, worry coursing through her brain.

"Yero, what's wrong?" She asked, coming into the living room. Her husband, unharmed, stood with his back against the door; hands behind his back, he smiled at her.

"Someone wants to see you."

She stared at him, brow knit in confusion. "Who-"

But she didn't get to finish, because he opened the door, revealing her parents, sister and brother-in-law. Her dark eyes widened in shock, and after recovering, she rushed to her younger sister, throwing her arms around the younger woman.

"Nessa!"

"Hey Fabala! It's so good to see you again!" The girls held on, reveling in an embrace that was almost six years in the making. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Elphaba replied, hugging her sister tighter, before pulling away and reaching out to brush a strand of cinnamon hair away from her sister's eyes. Then, she turned to Trism. "Hey! Good to see you again."

"You too, sis." He said, hugging her. Elphaba had known Trism since they were children. Not long after moving to Munchkinland, she'd made friends with Trism, who was two years younger than her. She had actually been the one to set him up with Nessa, and she'd delighted in watching the two grow closer over the years. Pulling away from her brother-in-law, she hugged each of her parents in turn, before inviting them in.

"Congratulotions! I'm sorry we couldn't be there for the wedding." Nessa said, once the door was closed behind them.

"It's all right. You had something more important." Elphaba replied.

"Nothing is as important as your older sister's wedding." Nessa said, reaching up to cup her sister's cheek. Elphaba blushed.

"Except the birth of your younger sister's son." She answered, pulling away.

"Oh, Fabala, before I forget-" Nessa said, turning to the carrier behind her and scooping an infant into her arms. "Meet your nephew, Liir."


	44. Chapter 44

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"So... how does it feel to be married?" Nessa asked, accepting the tea Fiyero handed her. The girls were sitting on the sofa, wedged between their husbands, catching up. Their parents had settled in the arm chairs on either side of the sofa and were enjoying the sight of their girls back together. Elphaba sat with one leg tucked under her on the sofa, her nephew in her arms. She looked up when Fiyero joined her, running a hand through her hair quickly.

"It feels... strange. I've been single for so long..."

"You're only twenty-three." Nessa replied, meeting her sister's eyes.

"Yes, but _I_ didn't get married at sixteen." The older girl replied, causing her sister to blush.

"Well, at least you're married to someone you've known almost your entire life instead of some stranger." She watched Elphaba and Fiyero exchange glances, proud that she'd managed to one-up her sister for once. The newlyweds kept quiet.

"So, when can we expect another grandson? Or a granddaughter, perhaps?" Frex asked, watching his oldest child.

For a moment, she was the little girl playing Mommy with her dolls; making Fiyero play her husband and Nessa play the aunt. For a moment, she was the little girl in pigtails, chasing after the young Crown Prince; climbing trees and eating ice cream as it dribbled down her chin. For a few fleeting moments, she was the little girl he'd taught to walk; to draw, to drive. She was the baby wrapped in the pink blanket that he'd rocked to sleep; the toddler he'd comfort when she got hurt; the little girl who learned to ride a bike.

She was the ten-year-old with her first solo in the choir concert; the young lady in the midnight blue strapless prom dress and heels with her hair up in curls waiting anxiously for her date to arrive; the excited high school graduate, and the nervous college freshman standing on the steps of EU on her first day of classes. She was the college graduate accepting her Bachelor's in performing arts; the young woman living in her first apartment in the City, waiting tables and working the audition circuit.

She was the heartbroken young actress, her dreams dashed and her confidence shattered, standing on their doorstep in the rain, her suitcase at her side, as tears ran down her cheeks, as unidentifiable as the rain around her. She was the grad student, working towards her teaching degree; graduating with a Masters in history. She was the unemployed student, staying up at all hours to study and searching for a job that would take the pain away from her failed acting career.

She was the unsure young woman waiting in the doorway, gathering the courage to tell them goodbye, before boarding a train for Shiz. She was the new History teacher at Shiz High, unused to a world she'd only ever played student in, now in the role of teacher. She was the cautious Juliet, unaware that she was falling for her childhood Romeo, eleven years after the unsuccessful suicide pact. She was the lovesick Ophelia; the exotic young lover who spent her nights in the arms of a man, whispering sweet nothings in his ear and making him fall in love with her more and more. She was the excited young fiancee, anxious for her wedding and her new life with her mate. She was the young bride on her wedding day, excited and happy, as he walked her down the aisle and gave her away.

And now... now, she was a new wife, embarking on a brand new adventure with her husband; an aunt, cradling her nephew in her arms; a woman ready for motherhood.

"Dad! We just got married! We aren't going to have kids now! Yero and I decided that we're going to wait a while before we have children."

"How long is a while?" Frex asked.

"Five years."

He raised his eyebrows. "Five years? You two are going to wait five years to have kids?"

"Of course! We aren't in that big a rush to become parents. We want to spend some time as husband and wife before we become-"

"Mom and Dad." Nessa added. Elphaba nodded.

"Exactly."

"Well, as long as you give us grandchildren." Frex said, watching his daughters.

"We will, Dad. Don't worry. We just... we'll have them when we're ready." Elphaba replied, looking up at Frex. He smiled at her.

"I know you will."


	45. Chapter 45

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to musicgal3 and Hedwig466 for reviewing 44 and to lizziemagic for reviewing 42, 43 and 44.**

"How long are you here for?"

"For the next couple weeks. We wanted to come see you- especially since we missed your wedding."

Elphaba reached out and squeezed her sister's hand. "It's okay, Nessa. Yero and I understand. You were having a baby. A baby is more important than a wedding." Nessa shook her head.

"No, it's not. Nothing is more important than your big sister's wedding." She took a sip of her tea. "But I wasn't the only one there- Shell missed it too."

"How is Shell?" Elphaba asked, accepting the mail Fiyero handed her before sitting next to her.

"Miserable. He hates it there."

"It's his own damn fault." Elphaba replied, opening on of the envelopes and scanning the contents. "If he hadn't... egged..."

"Fabala? What's wrong?" Her sister didn't reply. Instead, she turned to Fiyero.

"Yero, call Oscar."

"What is it, Fae?" She handed him the letter, before getting up and going to the phone book. But before she could flip through it, the sound of the doorbell ringing stopped her. Everyone turned, waiting. The phonebook forgotten, Elphaba went to the door and pulled it open.

"Glinda?"

The blonde stood on the doorstep, tears streaming down her cheeks. Milla, Avaric and Boq stood with her, holding her close.

"Fae, what's wrong?" The older woman turned to see Fiyero join her. "Glinda?"

"What happened, Glinda?" Elphaba asked.

"Come on in, all of you." Fiyero said, stepping out of the way and pulling his wife with him. The students led their friend in, eventually sitting her on the sofa.

"We're really sorry, Miss Thropp, but we didn't know where else to turn." Milla said, sitting next to her friend.

"No, that's all right, Milla." Elphaba replied, sitting on the other side of Glinda. "Glinda, what happened?" Elphaba asked gently, reaching up to brush a strand of hair out of her student's face.

"The... they... they... pr... promised..."

"Who, sweetie?" Elphaba asked, reaching out to brush the girl's tears away.

"My... p... parents..." She broke down again.

"They said they'd come get her, but she got a call from them after school. They legally disowned her. They said that she was too much of a problem, and that they didn't want her anymore." Milla said, meeting her teachers' eyes. At this point, Elphaba's family had come into the living room, silently absorbing the whole conversation. Nessa cradled Liir, and gently perched on the arm of the sofa.

"Oh Glinda." The blonde buried her face in her teacher's shoulder, sobbing. Elphaba gently rubbed the girl's back. She knew that since the wedding, Glinda had been staying with Milla and her family, while she waited for her parents to send for her. But obviously, they hadn't nor would they ever. "I'm so sorry."

"Can they do that? Legally disown a child?" Elphaba turned to look at her mother.

"If it's possible, we should have disowned Shell long ago." Frex muttered. Nessa glared at her father.

"Dad!"

"I'm just saying, Nessa. Our lives would be a lot easier if that boy wasn't around." Elphaba rolled her eyes, turning back to her student.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" She asked gently.

"She's staying with me. My parents said it was okay. They even offered to legally adopt her." Milla said, glancing from her friend to her teachers.

Two hours later, when they'd finally gotten the blonde to calm down, Elphaba introduced her parents, sister, brother-in-law and nephew to her students. They all delighted in the little boy, and the baby even brought a small, fleeting smile to Glinda's face.

"What was the letter about, Fabala?" Nessa asked, cradling her son. Elphaba sighed.

"Glinda." Elphaba said, glancing at her students. "It was from the Board of Education; about her parents abandoning her. Parents shouldn't do that to their child. It's abuse."

"If you need a lawyer-"

Elphaba chuckled at her sister's cheeky grin.

"Thanks Ness. We'll let you know." The brunette nodded.

"Glinda, what do your parents do?" Frex asked.

"They're... they're both professors. In the City." Glinda replied, sniffling. Frex nodded.

"At the University?" Glinda nodded.

"Candle and Manek?" The girl nodded again. "I thought so."

"What is it, Dad?" Elphaba asked, looking at her father. He watched Glinda for several minutes, before,

"Elphaba, when you attended EU, who was your Political Science professor?" Elphaba started, thinking back.

"Um... Professor Merku, but halfway through the semester, we had a woman come in and teach. A transplant from Shiz University, Dr..."

"Candle Upland?" Frex asked. Elphaba nodded.

"Yeah. I... I hated her. She... was a snob if I ever knew one. Asked us all what we were majoring in, and when she found out I was majoring in Musical Theater, she reacted like I'd vomitted on her shoes. I still remember her words." Elphaba looked at Glinda, silently willing the girl to understand.

"What did she say, Fabala?" Nessa asked softly.

Elphaba turned to look at her sister. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she said,

"She... she said that... that no one would... would want an actress with green skin, and that... that I most likely didn't have the talent to even wait tables, let alone work in theater as an actress. She said that I'd better change my major because the sight of me would make the audience sick, and that... that the world would be a better place if I killed myself."


	46. Chapter 46

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Question: Why do I get the feeling that Milla's family won't be the one that adopts her (Glinda)?**

**Answer: I'm not saying**

**Thanks to musicgal3, Hedwig466 and lizziemagic for reviewing 45.**

Tears began to trickle down Glinda's cheeks, and choking out a sob, she got up from the sofa and fled, opening the door and hurrying outside. Quickly, her friends hurried after her. They'd all seen the look Miss Thropp had given her, and none of them blamed her.

_I'm so, so sorry, Glinda. Please, try to understand._

It wasn't her fault, nor was it Glinda's. It was Mrs. Upland's.

Back in the living room, Elphaba refused to meet her family's eyes. She kept her head lowered, not wanting them to see the tears running down her cheeks. But they all knew; somehow or other, at one time or another, they'd heard the story of Elphaba's tragic acting career. They just didn't know that the parent of one of her students had caused her to give up the one thing she loved more than anything. Eventually, Elphaba got up.

"Excuse me."

She rushed into the kitchen, leaving everyone else in the living room, stunned. When Nessa stood to follow, Fiyero laid a hand on her arm, before following his wife. He found her at the kitchen sink, shoulders shaking; trying hard to not be heard. Silent, he went to her, reaching out and gently laying a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, turning, to find herself staring into Fiyero's eyes. He said nothing, just reached up to cup her face. She choked out a sob, before throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. He held her close, rubbing her back and placing gentle kisses in her hair.

Three hours later, when the kids had gone home, and Elphaba's family had returned to their hotel, Fiyero slipped into bed beside his wife, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She sniffled, turning to look at him over her shoulder. He pressed a loving, tender kiss to her temple, and then reached over, turning off the nightstand lamp. Once in the cool darkness, he settled down beside her, wrapping his other arm gently around her waist. Moments passed, before she moved closer, and he held tighter, protecting her.

"Shh... I'm so sorry, my love. I'm so sorry."

Eventually, she turned to him.

"Aren't you ashamed of me, Yero?"

He stared at her, tracing her features in the dark.

"Why would I be ashamed of you, sweetheart?"

"I... I failed... I... I'm nothing but a failure... I..."

"You are not a failure, my love. You understand? Glinda's mother is obviously a bitch, who's more concerned with her own happiness rather than her daughter's. They both are."

"I know, I just-"

"Shh. It's okay. I understand. I understand." He whispered, as she buried her face in his chest. She shook her head, clinging tighter to him.

"Did you see her face?" She asked, raising her face to look up at him. He nodded.

"I saw. It must have hurt, to discover what her mother had done- especially to one of her teachers, years before she was in that teacher's class." Fiyero replied, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, before moving to each of her eyelids. He kissed the tears away, pulling her close and pressing her against his chest. She clung to him, grasping fistfuls of his pajama top until her knuckles turned white. Eventually, her soft sobs put her to sleep.

Three hours later, Fiyero slipped out of bed, kissing her on the forehead before going into the kitchen. He fixed a cup of tea, and then stood looking out the window. Closing his eyes, he thought back on that afternoon. The dispair on Glinda's face was uncalled for. She might have been a pest, in Fiyero's opinion, but she was still a child, and children didn't deserve to be treated the way her parents had treated her. Before going to bed, he and Elphaba had seriously talked about adopting Glinda, but they decided that they weren't what she needed as parents.

They were both too young and inexperienced to be parents, let alone adoptive parents. Best to let Milla's family adopt her, since they were so dead set on it.

"Yero?"

His eyes snapped open, and he turned, to see his wife standing in the shadows, dressed in nothing but one of his shirts.

"What's wrong, Fae?" He asked gently, setting his cup down and opening his arms. She hurried into them, burying her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"I woke up and you were gone. I thought you'd left me." Came her muffled reply. Her voice was small, frightened. He rubbed her back, resting his chin on top of her head and rocking them gently back and forth.

"It was just a bad dream, Fae. I won't be going anywhere. I just needed a cup of tea, that's all." He replied, closing his eyes. He relished the feel of her body in his arms, of her scent enveloping him, like it had the last few nights since their marriage- since their reunion. Eventually, he pressed a firm kiss to her head, and pulled away. "Come on love, let's go back to sleep. We've had a long day."

He finished his tea, set the cup in the sink, and then took her hand, leading her back to bed.


	47. Chapter 47

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**A/N: This chapter takes place at the start of summer.**

**Thanks to Hedwig466, musicgal3 and lizziemagic for reviewing 46.**

_Nessa,_

_By the time you read this, Yero and I will be stepping off the train in Kumbrica Station. From there, we'll take a taxi to Kiamo Ko. Yero promised me that once we get settled, he'll take me to the village, and show me how much it's changed since I left. After all, it has been eleven years. I wonder if Tersan's Ice Cream Parlor is still there. Ness, do you remember going there on summer afternoons? There are days when I wonder what it would have been like if we'd stayed; if Dad hadn't moved us back to Munchkinland. Would Yero and I be married with children by now? Or would we both have moved on? I prefer not to think on it. I would much rather think on the present and what awaits for Yero and I in the future. I must admit though, that I'm exceedingly nervous about this visit. What if his parents don't remember me? Or they blame me, or accuse me of forcing him into marriage? I'm sure we'll stop by to see you with gifts galore- especially for Liir. Don't yell at me, Ness, he's my nephew! As his aunt, I have every right to spoil him! _

_Give our best to Trism and Mom and Dad. Kiss Liir for me. _

_Love, _

_Elphie and Yero_

"Fae! Come on! The taxi's waiting!"

"Coming!" She handed the letter to the postman to send, before hurrying to catch up with her husband. They climbed into the cab, and once Fiyero gave the driver the address, they settled back to watch the scenery. Eventually, Elphaba curled up in Fiyero's arms and drifted off to sleep.

"Fae. Fae, sweetheart, wake up." Slowly, her eyes opened, and she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yero? What's wrong?" She asked, voice thick with sleep.

"Look."

She leaned forward, looking out his window. Her eyes filled with the lights of the village- no longer a village, but a thriving, cultured city- and she turned to him, now fully awake.

"Yero, is that... the village?" He nodded.

"It looks different, doesn't it?" She glanced at him, nodding.

"It... it's a..."

"A city?" She nodded again, meeting his eyes. "But... but the last time I..."

"A lot can change in eleven years, Fae." He replied, lacing their fingers together. "Villages... people too." She met his eyes briefly, before leaning over and capturing his lips in a sweet kiss.

Forty minutes later, they pulled up in front of the huge, old stone castle. Once Elphaba climbed out of the taxi, she felt her mouth drop as she stared at what had been her second childhood home. She looked back at Fiyero as he joined her.

"What's a matter, Fae? You look like you haven't seen Kiamo Ko in eleven years." He said, gently patting her rump before going to the gates. Grabbing her bags, she followed. The castle loomed over them, forbidden and scary. "Scared?" She turned, noting the smirk on her husband's face. Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not scared." She replied.

But it was an empty bluff.

She was terrified.

Because she was going to be seeing Fiyero's parents again after eleven years. And probably knowing her, they'd blame her for their son being sent off to boarding school, want them to get a divorce...

"Fae, come on." She snapped out of her reverie and followed, skidding to a stop on the doorstep. Once she stepped up beside him, Fiyero reached down and slipped his fingers through hers, squeezing. She glanced down as they made contact, before meeting his eyes and giving him a small smile. "It'll be fine, love." He told her, before leaning close and kissing her. Their lips connected and she dropped her suitcase, reaching up to cradle his cheek. Neither noticed the door open, revealing his mother.

"Yero!"

They pulled apart, turning to see the Queen of the Arjikis standing in the doorway. She stared at the couple, happy to see her son, yet shocked to see the Govenor's daughter standing beside him, in his arms.

"E... Elphaba Thropp?"

The green girl pulled away, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling like the five-year-old girl who'd stood in front of her almost twenty-one years ago. After a moment, she looked up, not daring to smile or speak, for fear the queen would strike her. For a moment, the queen studied the girl.

"Baxiana? Who-" The couple looked up, seeing Fiyero's father step up to his mother. He smiled at his son, before turning his eyes to the green-skinned young woman by his side.

"I... is that?"

"Mom, Dad, you remember Elphaba." Fiyero said, gently pushing her forward.

Silence.

"Of course. It's good to see you again, Elphaba." The girl swallowed, nodding.

"It's good to see you too, Your Highness." She whispered.

"Come in." Baxiana said, going to the girl and hugging her. She led the two into the castle, had them set their bags in the foyer, and then led them into the living room. Elphaba, however, stopped, looking around. She remembered this; the castle was familiar, as familiar as Fiyero's kisses and caresses. "So, how did you two run into each other? I think Yero said something in his last letter that you worked together at a school?" Baxiana said, as they all sat and had coffee. Elphaba nodded.

"Shiz High."

"And... how have you been, Elphaba?"

The girl bit her lip. "Okay."

Before she could speak again, Fiyero interrupted her.

"We... have something to tell you." He glanced at Elphaba, who bit her lip. After a moment, he reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers.

"Yero, they won't-" She started, but he stopped her, leaning over and kissing her after whispering that it would be. His parents watched with surprise.

"Yero? What are you-" Baxiana started; she watched her son pull away from her and turn to them.

"Elphaba and I got married three weeks ago."


	48. Chapter 48

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena **

**A/N: Sparks will fly...**

**Thanks to The Beautifully Tragic Author, musicgal3 and Hedwig466 for reviewing 47.**

Silence.

Elphaba, who'd refused to meet their eyes now lowered her head, her long raven hair obscuring her features and hiding their most likely hateful expressions from her view. Eventually, his father broke the pressing silence.

"You... you got married?"

Fiyero nodded; Elphaba refused to look up.

"When did you get married?" His wife kept quiet.

"May fourteenth."

"You got married on the fourteenth?" His son nodded. It didn't go unnoticed that his new daughter-in-law flat out refused to meet his eye. Poor thing must be so embarrassed or horrified or perhaps a mix of both.

"We invited you. We sent an invitation." Fiyero said.

"We got the invitation." His father replied.

"Then what's the problem?" Fiyero asked, refusing to break eye contact. But before his father could reply, a shaky gasp cut him off, and they all turned, to see Elphaba wiping tears from her eyes. After a moment, she raised her head, brushing her hair out of her face and wiping her cheeks.

_"Don't you get it, Yero?"_ She choked out, glancing from her husband to her father-in-law to her mother-in-law and back. _"I forced you into it. It's my fault your here, if we hadn't gotten married..."_ She stopped, looking down at her wedding ring. After a moment, she took it off and set it on the table. Then, she leaned over and kissed him; he didn't feel the kiss- he, his parents, and the servants who had come in to greet the young man they'd helped raise, all stared at her shocked. Once she pulled away, she stood, looked at him, mouthed 'I love you' and then turned to his parents. "I'm sorry." And choking back a sob, she rushed from the room, narrowly slamming into a servant bringing in coffee.

It was Fiyero that snapped out of the shock first.

Realizing her wedding ring sat on the table, he grabbed it and stood to rush after her.

"Yero!"

Gritting his teeth, he turned. His mother, finally able to say something, stood and was making her way towards him.

_"What?"_

_"How could you? You... you got married without even telling us?"_

_"We sent you an invitation. When you didn't reply... we decided to go along with it."_

_"Your father and I didn't arrange this match!"_

He clenched his fists; Elphaba's wedding ring dug into the soft flesh of his palm. The fact that his wife had fled the room in tears made his blood boil; the mention of a practice that had ended with his great-grandfather over fifty years earlier caused spots to appear in front of his eyes. The mere fact that his mother could bring up arranging a match made him want to hit her, and the understanding that his bride was- at this moment- sobbing her beautiful dark eyes out was the only thing that made him curb his anger and keep from physically lashing out at his mother.

"Arrange this match?" He repeated the words slowly. _"ARRANGE THIS MATCH? Mom, in case you forgot, I'M AN ADULT! I'm going to chose who I want to marry and have a family with! I love Elphaba and she loves me! We got married and we came down here to share our joy with you, and all you do is... is turn up your nose at us because YOU DIDN'T ARRANGE THE MATCH!"_

_"Yero, she's wrong for you!"_

He scoffed, horrified.

"_Need_ I _remind you, Mother_, that Elphaba grew up here? She moved here when she was four and left when she was ten. _Remember? You loved Elphaba!_ I remember hearing you and Mrs. Thropp joking about what it would be like if she and I got married! Well guess what, Mother? _WE. GOT. MARRIED_."

His mother kept quiet, refusing to meet his eyes. She knew he was right. Back when the Thropps lived at the Embassy, she and Melena had spent almost as much time together as their children. Weekend play dates and evening dinners were a way of life for the two families; so it shouldn't have come as a shock that the Govenor's daughter and the Crown Prince had fallen in love and gotten married eleven years later.

But it was.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Fiyero started, voice even. He glanced from his mother to his father and back. "I have to go find my _wife_."

And he turned and left, not looking back.

Slowly, Baxiana turned back to her husband.

_"He's not my little boy anymore."_ She burst into tears. Manek went to her, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close.

"He'll always be your little boy, Baxi. But he's right, he's an adult. He's in love, and he got married. And he married a wonderful woman who has obviously made him very happy. And he's going to make a family with her and spend the rest of his life with her; just like we did. And the fact that she was his childhood sweetheart makes everything better. At least he didn't marry some stranger. He married Elphaba. He loves Elphaba, remember? He always loved Elphaba. He's just... finally gotten the courage to admit it."

_"I know, I just..."_

"Shh. I know. I know."

Upstairs, Fiyero pushed open the door to the guest room to find his wife repacking. Despite eleven years having gone by, Elphaba still remembered where everything was. He leaned against the door jam, hands in his pockets, as he watched his wife fold and repack everything that had been unpacked while they were downstairs. After a moment, she stopped, feeling his eyes on her. Choking out a sob, she covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking.

Pushing himself away from the wall, Fiyero went to her, removing his hands from his pockets and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "Shh. Shh, Fae. I know. I know, honey, I know. This was a mistake. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry."

Eventually, she turned around, wrapping her arm around his waist and burying her face in his chest, sobbing. He pressed a gentle kiss on her head and held her closer, rocking gently back and forth. "I love you."


End file.
